Himachal court summons officials in illegal felling case

Taking cognizance of the illicit felling of a deodar tree despite a ban, the Himachal Pradesh High Court on Tuesday summoned top state government officials.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan directed the forest secretary, the deputy commissioner of Kangra, the chief conservator of forests, among others, to remain present in the court on October 28.

The bench came to know through a media report that a tree was felled in the state's Dharamsala town.

Earlier, the court-appointed committee found that a large number of trees had been felled with and without the permission in McLeodganj near Dharamsala from the office of deputy commissioner.

It was hearing a public interest litigation by Ghazala Abdullah who alleged that a large number of trees were felled in McLeodganj for commercial activity.