Delhi High Court
In a recent case of argument between two police officers and a lawyer, High Court has announced a unique verdict. The police officers are ordered to plant 100 fruit bearing trees. The argument was over protection of trees from damage due to an ongoing civil work by a government agency.
In addition to the order, Justice Najmi Waziri have ordered the Delhi Police to share the order further so that police officers know the importance of trees. Further, the police officers must know that it is their duty to protect environment and they should not indulge in such “undesirable altercations”. The police personnel were also directed to render prompt assistance to the Tree Officer under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA), 1994.
Plantation drive to be carried out by the police officials as per orders of HC
The High Court released the two police officers from the contempt proceedings after they submitted their “sincere apologies,” but ordered them to carry out the tree-planting drive at the Delhi Armed Police Parade Ground in Kingsway Camp while making sure that each tree has a minimum nursery life of three years and a height of at least 10 feet.
The case went on like this
Aditya N. Prasad, the advocate representing New Delhi Nature Society narrated the case to the court. He told that the argument happened between him and the the additional station house officer (SHO) and the SHO concerned to the matter when he informed them that specific trees at the construction site in the Lodhi Colony area would be guarded against damage by the police.
According to the DPTA and the High Court’s orders, Mr. Prasad had told the aforementioned police personnel that the police were required to preserve the trees from harm. However, he continued, the building work was permitted to proceed.
The police officers claimed that since a government organisation was performing the work, it was presumed to have been authorised. The High Court said, “Said assumption was fallacious.”
High court ordered…
“In view of the above, let 100 fruit-bearing trees like Pilkhan, Jamun, Amaltas, Goolar, Kathal, Badh, Banyan, Kadamb, Kala Sirus, Safed Sirus, Papri and Maulsari, etc. be planted at the Delhi Armed Police Parade Ground, Kingsway Camp, Delhi by the said police officers,” said the High Court in an order passed on May 29.
