HC pulls up SP West Midnapore in illegal tree felling case

The Calcutta High Court today directed the SP of West Midnapore district to appear before it over police failure to register a complaint with regard to alleged illegal felling of over 1,100 trees at Sabang in the district.
A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre and Justice T Chakraborty directed Bharati Ghosh, SP of West Midnapore district, and the Officer Incharge of Sabang police station to appear before it on February 10 and explain the position of the police in this regard.
The order came during the hearing of a PIL that claimed the head of Bolpai village panchayat had got permission from the forest department for felling 996 trees for road widening and other development projects in June, 2016.

It was, however, found that apart from the 996 trees allowed, the panchayat had illegally felled 1,105 more trees within its area, according to the petition by one of the villagers, who had lodged a complaint with the divisional forest officer there.
It was submitted before the court that after finding out the facts, the forest department had imposed a penalty of Rs 6.44 lakh on the panchayat head, who has not paid the fine till date.
The forest ranger had then lodged a complaint with the Sabang police station, but the officer incharge had not initiated a case after receipt of the complaint, the court was informed today.

Displeased at this, the division bench directed the SP of the district and the officer incharge of the police station concerned to appear before it on February 10 when the matter would be heard again.