Housing project: ‘Fake permission’ issued for tree felling in Ridge, Forest Dept tells SC

The Forest Department of Delhi has told the Supreme Court that “fake permission”, using the name of the deputy conservator of forests, was issued for tree felling in the Ridge area of Vasant Kunj for a housing project. The startling revelation was made in an affidavit filed by Delhi’s Deputy Conservator of Forest, West Forest Division, in response to a plea by environmental activist Bhavreen Kandhari, who contended that the said land was a morphological ridge protected by the top court’s May 9, 1996, order. Kandhari said the top court’s prior permission was needed for tree felling or diversion of forest land for non-forest use.

“It is pertinent to mention that it had come to the attention of the answering respondent that a fake permission was issued for tree felling in the name of the office of the deputy conservator of forests/tree officer, West Forest Division, which was found issued to Rakesh Kumar Sharma…,” the affidavit said. The plea seeking contempt of court action against the authorities for tree felling and levelling the said parcel of land for the project was likely to be taken up on July 21 by a Bench led by Justice Surya Kant. The Ridge area in Delhi, which is an ecologically sensitive zone, is divided into five fragmented zones namely – Northern Ridge, Central Ridge, South Central Ridge, Southern Ridge and Nanakpura South Central Ridge. Several orders have been passed from time to time by the courts and authorities for its protection.

On May 7, the top court had issued a show cause notice to the authorities asking why the contempt proceedings, under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, should not be initiated against them for the alleged violation of the order dated May 9, 1996. The Deputy Conservator of Forest said on December 13, 2024, he wrote a letter to the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Vasant Kunj police station, seeking cognisance of the issue and registration of an FIR under relevant provisions of law. The assistant sub-inspector at the Vasant Kunj police station probing the FIR has written back to the forest officer, saying the alleged forged permission is illegible, he added.

It said the police officer has also said in his letter that the disputed location cannot be found, and during the interrogation, Rakesh Kumar Sharma, refused the allegation regarding forged permission for felling/damaging of trees.

“The assistant sub-inspector has requested an original copy of the forged permission to process the matter further. Otherwise, the complaint shall be closed. It is pertinent to mention that the same issue is sought by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC)… and the intimation of the same has already been sent on March 3, 2025,” the affidavit submitted.

The forest officer said in response to the report of the assistant sub-inspector, a letter was issued to the Vasant Kunj police station SHO on March 13 by him, stating that the copy of the forged permission/documents provided earlier was the only copy available in his office. The plea said in the pleading before the Delhi High Court, it was revealed that activities were carried out for the construction of residential buildings by alleged contemnors, and the MCD has sanctioned the building plan for the said building construction. “To the best of the petitioner’s knowledge, no permission has been sought from this court before undertaking the said contemptuous activities. It is also evident that the officials of the Forest Department, GNCTD and the Ridge Management Board took no action to prevent the said activity or stop the same,” the plea said.

Delhi