Jharkhand HC slams delay in illegal tree felling probe, seeks fresh report

Ranchi — The Jharkhand High Court on Monday came down heavily on the state government over the sluggish pace of investigation into large-scale illegal tree felling reported during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown, directing it to file a detailed status report within two weeks.

The case was heard by a Division Bench headed by Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad, which expressed serious concern over the prolonged delay. The court noted that despite the passage of several years, the investigation has not reached a logical conclusion.

During the hearing, the government informed the court that the probe has uncovered the involvement of several forest department officials, including range forest officers, rangers, and forest guards. It added that charge sheets have been filed against two officials, while an arrest warrant has been issued against another accused.

Senior officers from the Criminal Investigation Department Jharkhand, including the Additional Director General (ADG) and the investigating DSP, appeared before the court in person in compliance with earlier directions.

The Bench questioned the reasons behind the delay, especially when the CID had been tasked with conducting a time-bound investigation. It observed that such prolonged inaction could have serious legal implications. In previous hearings, the court had already expressed dissatisfaction with the responses submitted by senior officials, including the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and the Director General of Police, even warning that a delay of this magnitude could amount to contempt of court.

Rejecting the state’s explanation regarding missing documents, the court stressed that such grounds were not acceptable in a case of this seriousness.

The matter relates to allegations that hundreds of trees were illegally cut during the lockdown and transported outside the state in over 200 trucks. The incidents were reported from districts such as Jamtara, Palamu, Chaibasa, and Ranchi.

Following the revelations, FIRs were registered at local police stations, and the investigation is currently being carried out by the CID.

With inputs from IANS