Supreme Court Stays Sentencing of Jharkhand IFS Officers in Forest Land Contempt Case

Ranchi: The Supreme Court has stayed the sentencing of two Indian Forest Service (IFS) officers from Jharkhand who were previously found guilty of contempt by the High Court in a disputed forest land case. The apex court has also ordered that the status quo be maintained on the contentious 74.38-acre land in Tetulia, Bokaro, and has scheduled the next hearing for six weeks from now.

The Jharkhand government had appealed the High Court's decision, which held Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Rajneesh Kumar and Regional Chief Conservator of Forests (RCCF) D. Venkateshwarlu guilty of contempt. The matter was heard on Friday by a bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh.

Following the hearing, the Supreme Court put a hold on the sentencing proceedings and directed that the existing condition of the disputed land remain unchanged until further notice. The court also instructed the competent authorities to present all relevant documents pertaining to the land’s forest status at the next hearing.

This marks the first known instance of two IFS officers in Jharkhand being held in contempt of court. The case originated from a petition by Umayush Multicom, which had obtained a favorable order from the High Court affirming its ownership of the land. Despite this, DFO Rajneesh Kumar issued an order halting work on the property, prompting Umayush to file a contempt petition.

During the contempt hearing, the High Court instructed Kumar to rescind his order. He, however, submitted an affidavit stating that he could not comply, citing directions from RCCF Venkateshwarlu. Consequently, the court added Venkateshwarlu as a co-respondent in the contempt case. Ultimately, both officers were found guilty, though the High Court postponed sentencing by eight weeks.

In response, the Jharkhand government sought relief from the Supreme Court, which has now granted interim protection to the officers while the case remains under review.