Jharkhand High Court Pulls Up State Over Delay in Probe Into Alleged Illegal Tree Felling During Lockdown

Ranchi: The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday expressed strong dissatisfaction over the delay in the investigation into alleged large-scale illegal felling of trees across multiple districts during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020.

A division bench comprising Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Sanjay Prasad questioned the state government on why the probe has remained incomplete even after four years, and sought clarity on the current status of the investigation being conducted by the CID.

The court observed that the inquiry appears to be largely restricted to the Panki area of Palamu district, while the petition alleges widespread tree felling in several districts across Jharkhand. It directed the government to file a detailed affidavit explaining the scope and progress of the investigation.

During the hearing, counsel for the petitioner Abhay Kumar Mishra told the court that although the matter was handed over to the CID, the investigation has moved at a slow pace. He also alleged attempts to shield those involved.

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Taking note of the submissions, the bench asked the state to respond specifically on whether a larger conspiracy angle is being examined in the case.

The matter has been listed for further hearing after two weeks.

Earlier, the state government had informed the court that involvement of Forest Department officials had surfaced during the investigation. It also stated that chargesheets had been filed against two officials, while an arrest warrant had been issued against another accused.

The CID is currently probing two FIRs registered in Palamu district in connection with the case. The High Court had previously criticised the delay, noting that prolonged investigation cannot be justified merely on the grounds of pending documentation.

According to the petition, hundreds of trees were allegedly cut illegally during the lockdown period in 2020 across districts including Jamtara, Palamu, West Singhbhum (Chaibasa), and Ranchi. It is further alleged that the timber was transported using over 200 trucks.

Police had registered multiple FIRs following the allegations, and the case remains under CID investigation.

With inputs from IANS