A fake permission was issued for the felling of trees in the Morphological Ridge area of Vasant Kunj in Delhi, according to the Forest Department of the Delhi Government, which informed the Supreme Court about the same. This information was submitted in a recent affidavit filed in contempt proceedings, questioning the permission to uproot trees and sanction a housing project in the ecologically sensitive area inside the capital city.

The affidavit was filed by the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Amit Gemawat, who is also the Tree Officer of the West Division under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994.

While responding to the contempt petition filed by a Delhi resident named Bhavreen Kandhari, the Tree Officer said, “It is pertinent to mention that it has come to the attention of the answering respondent that a fake permission was issued for tree felling in the name of the office of Deputy Conservator of Forests/Tree Officer, West Forest Division, which was found issued to Rakesh Kumar Sharma, resident of 137, Jor Bagh, Lodhi Road, District South, New Delhi – 110003, at the foresaid address as proof.”

The petitioner alleged how statutory authorities were bypassing the law in approving a developmental project on Morphological Ridge land, which enjoys protected status in Delhi. The affidavit was filed on July 10, and brought this revelation in the contempt case, which will be heard by a bench headed by Justice Suryakant.

The affidavit also stated that the Forest Department wrote a letter in December 2024 to the Vasant Kunj Police, asking them to take cognizance of the issue and register an FIR. During the police investigation, Sharma refuted the allegations and told the police that the only copy available to them was illegible.

Vasant Kunj Ridge

The issue relating to the illegal felling of trees was first raised by the RWA of Vasant Kunj, Sector B, Pocket 1, before the Delhi High Court in September 2024, using photographs showing that the land had been dug and levelled. The eVanlekh website of the Delhi Forest Department records the nature of the land in question as Morphological Ridge, where construction activity is prohibited.

However, during the proceedings before the High Court, it came to light that the activities at the Morphological Ridge site were being carried out for the construction of a residential building by a firm called RR Texknit LLP. Interestingly, the MCD had also sanctioned the building plan for the construction in May 2024.

Delhi resident-petitioner’s advocate, Manan Verma, said, “The action to stop the construction/felling of trees in the Ridge, in violation of the order of this Court, appears to be wilful and deliberate, and the alleged contemnors deserve to be punished for contempt of this Court under Article 129 of the Constitution of India, read with the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.”