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Hans India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
DDA guilty of contempt in Delhi tree felling case
New Delhi: The Supreme Court held the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) guilty of contempt in a case pertaining to tree-felling in the Ridge area for a road-widening project. While categorising the authority's act in the scope of criminal contempt, the top court asked the DDA to carry out compensatory afforestation, according to NDTV report. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and NK Singh said the deforestation revealed a 'troubling pattern' of 'institutional missteps and administrative overreach'. 'Permission was not obtained, orders were ignored and environmental damage was inflicted,' Justice Kant said. The Bench passed the verdict on contempt plea alleging violation of the 1996 and March 4, 2024, ban on tree felling and deliberate non-compliance of orders on the part of the Delhi LG and IAS officer Subhasish Panda as DDA chairman and vice-chairman respectively. It acknowledged the intent of cutting the trees, given that the road was being widened to allow seamless transportation to the CAPFIMS hospital. 'The hospital (for which road widening was carried out) was to cater to needs of paramilitary jawans. Ensuring access to quality medical care is not a privilege, but necessity. It is imperative to recognise the importance of such institutions for military personnels and their families. Such individuals remain voiceless,' it said. The Bench also directed the formation of a three-member committee to oversee Delhi Ridge area afforestation plan and ensure thick tree cover on both sides of approach road. Further, an environmental fee of Rs 25,000 was imposed on officials, other than the DDA chairman and vice-chairman.
Scroll.in
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
SC closes contempt case against development body officials over tree-felling in Delhi Ridge
The Supreme Court on Wednesday closed contempt proceedings against officials of the Delhi Development Authority over the large-scale felling of trees in the national capital's Ridge area for a road widening project in February 2024, Bar and Bench reported. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and NK Singh held that the officials had committed contempt by failing to seek the top court's approval, as mandated under a 1996 ruling, before allowing the tree-felling. 'This is a case of institutional missteps and administrative overreach,' Bar and Bench quoted the court as having said. However, citing ' overwhelming public interest ', the bench refrained from initiating contempt proceedings against the Delhi Development Authority officials and its former Vice Chairperson Subhashish Panda, The Hindu reported. The trees in the protected ecological area in Delhi were chopped to construct a broader access road to the Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences, a new tertiary hospital primarily for paramilitary personnel, their families, pensioners and the public, according to the newspaper. The contempt proceedings had been initiated when the matter was being heard by benches led by Justice BR Gavai, who is now the chief justice, and Justice AS Oka, who has retired, Bar and Bench said. The ruling on Wednesday also comes as a relief for Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena. Although he was not a party to the contempt proceedings, a bench previously led by Oka had expressed concern about his alleged involvement in the unauthorised tree-felling. The case revolved around allegations that the Delhi Development Authority allowed the cutting of more than 600 trees in the Delhi Ridge forest area without securing mandatory approval from the court. In October, Saxena, who is also the chairperson of the Delhi Development Authority, told the court that he did not know that its permission was needed to carry out large-scale tree cutting in the area. He was responding to a court's order seeking an affidavit from him in connection with the case. During the hearing on Wednesday, the court issued directions on remedial measures to be taken by the Delhi government and the development authority in the matter. The directions include setting up of a three-member committee to examine the compensatory afforestation plan and the submission of periodical progress reports to the court. The development authority was also directed to finish the construction of the approach road to the hospital promptly and explore the possibility of ensuring thick coverage of trees on both sides of the road, Bar and Bench said. The bench also issued a fine of Rs 25,000 on all the officials of the Delhi Development Authority who were found responsible for the unauthorised tree felling. 'This is in addition to any other penalty imposed by an internal inquiry committee,' the court said. Further, the bench ordered that a due identification exercise had to be carried out to find out if there were affluent persons who benefitted from the road construction and may be made to pay as well.
Indian Express
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Supreme Court asks Assam Human Rights Commission to inquire into alleged fake encounters in state
The Supreme Court Wednesday asked the Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) to inquire into allegations of fake police encounters in the state 'for advancing it to its logical conclusion' after a petitioner pointed to as many as 171 such incidents. Deciding a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), a bench of Justices Surya Kant and N K Singh noted that 'after minutely scanning' the 'data' placed before it by the petitioner, 'prima facie it seems that barring a few cases, it is difficult to infer that there has been a procedural breakdown or the PUCL guidelines were flagrantly violated.' 'The records furnished by the state themselves indicate that some instances may warrant further evaluation to ascertain whether the guidelines laid down in PUCL have been meticulously complied with in both letter and spirit,' the bench added, and decided to entrust the inquiry to AHRC. The SC set aside the January 12, 2022, order passed by a full bench of AHRC disposing of the issue, and directed that the matter be reinstated on the board of the Commission 'for necessary inquiry into the allegations, independent and expeditiously in accordance with law.' The court noted, 'It has come to our knowledge that the…The Commission is now headed by an erudite jurist who is a retired chief justice of the High Court, whose judicial acumen and integrity inspire confidence. This court has every reason to believe that under his stewardship, the state human rights commission will decide the duties with diligence, sensitivity, and an abiding commitment to the constitutional values.' In the 1996 People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) judgement, the top court laid down guidelines against arbitrary state action, reaffirming the primacy of the rule of law as the bedrock of India's constitutional democracy. The guidelines laid down by the court provided for registration of FIR, independent investigation, magisterial inquiry, involving forensic science, informing the next of kin, compensation, and information to the National Human Rights Commission, and the state human rights commission, among others. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court underlined the importance of the human rights commissions in protecting vulnerable groups, ensuring accountability, and strengthening institutional mechanisms for enforcing human rights. 'The domestic human rights architecture in India is supported by a robust statutory framework that complements the constitutional guarantees enshrined in part three and the directive principle of state policy… At the centre of this framework stands the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, which institutionalised the commitment of the Indian state to uphold and monitor human rights in a structured and independent manner. The act serves as the primary statutory instrument for the promotion and protection of human rights in India,' said the court. The court pointed out that its judgement in the extrajudicial execution victims case 'has rightly underscored the roles of the human rights commissions such as that of protector, adviser, monitor, and educator of human rights'. 'Applying this understanding of the human rights framework to the instant matter, we have no hesitation in holding that the role of the human rights commission both at the national and state level is paramount in a democratic polity governed by the rule of law.' 'In a country as vast and diverse as India, marked by complex sociopolitical dynamics and systemic inequities, these commissions provide an essential form of accountability, transparency, and remedy against human rights violations.' The court noted that though the petitioner had brought a compilation of as many as 171 incidents before it, 'however…mere compilation or aggregation of cases does not by itself call for omnibus judicial directions.' 'Issuance of broad brush directives without individual scrutiny could result in a miscarriage of justice either by shielding the guilty or by stigmatising legitimate action by public servants discharging their duty under challenged circumstances,' added the court.
NDTV
28-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
DDA Guilty Of Contempt In Delhi Tree Felling Case, Relief For Lt Governor
The Supreme Court held the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) guilty of contempt of court in a case pertaining to tree-felling in the Ridge area for a road-widening project to allow seamless transportation to the CAPFIMS hospital. While categorising the authority's act in the scope of criminal contempt, the top court asked the DDA to carry out compensatory afforestation. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and NK Singh said the deforestation revealed a "troubling pattern" of "institutional missteps and administrative overreach". "Permission was not obtained, orders were ignored and environmental damage was inflicted," Justice Kant said. The Bench acknowledged the intent of cutting the trees. "The hospital (for which road widening was carried out) was to cater to needs of paramilitary jawans. Ensuring access to quality medical care is not a privilege, but necessity. It is imperative to recognise the importance of such institutions for military personnels and their families. Such individuals remain voiceless," it said. The Bench also directed the formation of a three-member committee to oversee Delhi Ridge area afforestation plan and ensure thick tree cover on both sides of approach road. Further, an environmental fee of Rs 25,000 was imposed on officials. The Bench said that to avoid taking "ignorance as a defence", any notification or order on afforestation, road construction, tree felling or any activity with potential ecological effect must mention the pendency of relevant proceedings before the top court.
News18
14-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
'Some Take Too Many Breaks': Supreme Court Orders Performance Review Of Judges
Last Updated: The Supreme Court voiced its concern while hearing a plea from four life convicts belonging to Scheduled Tribe or Other Backward Classes communities. The Supreme Court on Tuesday voiced the need for a comprehensive performance audit to assess the functioning of judges, citing a growing number of complaints regarding the efficiency of High Court judges. A Bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice NK Singh orally noted that while many judges demonstrate diligent work ethics, concerns have arisen about others who frequently take unnecessary breaks, prompting questions about their effective utilization of court time. 'There are some judges who work very hard, but at the same time, there are judges who are unnecessarily taking coffee breaks; this break or that break. What is for lunch hour, etc. We are hearing a lot of complaints about the High Court judges. This is a larger issue which needs to be looked into. What is the performance of the High Court judges? How much we are spending and what is the output? It's high time we do a performance audit," the Court said as per Bar and Bench. The Supreme Court voiced its concern while hearing a plea from four life convicts belonging to Scheduled Tribe or Other Backward Classes communities. These individuals alleged that the Jharkhand High Court had failed to pronounce judgments on their criminal appeals for an extended period of two to three years after reserving them. The Court had previously sought information regarding the status of these long-pending cases. On May 5, the Supreme Court directed all High Courts to submit reports detailing cases where judgments remained pending despite the matters being reserved. Continuing its scrutiny, the Supreme Court reiterated the paramount importance of this issue, suggesting the potential issuance of guidelines to ensure the timely delivery of judgments. The Court emphasized that the matter directly impacts the fundamental principles of the criminal justice system. On May 9, Supreme Court took further steps which included a request for reports from High Courts specifying the dates of judgment pronouncement and their subsequent publication on court websites. 'It seems that the issues noticed in the above mentioned orders would require and deeper analysis and mandatory guidelines by this Court, so that convicts or undertrials aren't compelled to lose faith in the justice delivery system and to avoid the petitions like one in present case," it noted. First Published: May 14, 2025, 11:59 IST
