SC Highlights Date Discrepancies In LG’s Awareness Of Ridge Tree Felling

The Supreme Court on Thursday has identified discrepancies regarding the timeline of when Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena became aware of tree felling in the Ridge area.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra requested clarification from both the LG and Subhasish Panda, the former Vice Chairman of the Delhi Development Authority, regarding their knowledge of the felling incidents.

The bench has also ordered the submission of original records related to the permissions for tree felling by next week.

During the hearing, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing petitioners who have alleged contempt against the LG, pointed out inconsistencies in Saxena’s affidavit. He noted that while the LG claimed to have learned about the tree felling on June 10, official records indicated that he had been informed in April.

In response, senior advocate Vikas Singh, representing the LG, argued that there was no definitive date on when Saxena was made aware of the situation and requested permission to file a more detailed affidavit.

The LG’s initial affidavit stated that he was unaware of the need for prior approval for tree felling in the Ridge area and mentioned that appropriate legal actions had been initiated against the DDA officials involved.

Saxena indicated that he only learned of the tree felling, which occurred between February 16 and February 26, after receiving a letter from the DDA vice chairman on June 10. His affidavit acknowledged that while the actions of the DDA officials may have constituted a mistake, they were made in good faith and for the public good.

However, he affirmed that departmental actions had been taken against the officials responsible for the incident.

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