By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 23 Jul: The high-profile investigation into illegal construction and extensive tree felling in the Pakharo range of Corbett Tiger Reserve is now approaching its judicial phase, with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) poised to file its chargesheet in the case. While the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has already submitted its chargesheet in connection with the case, the CBI’s move is pending government sanction for prosecution. The agency has formally sought permission from the state government, which is yet to respond.
It may be reminded here that this particular case has witnessed involvement of multiple agencies of the Centre as well as the state government in the investigation. Both the state and national investigative agencies are jointly probing a matter of big environmental and administrative significance.
It may also be reminded that the CBI’s prosecution request was submitted in April and, ideally, the sanction to file the chargesheet should have already been granted. However, there is a provision that stipulates a mandatory decision within four months. If the government fails to respond by the end of August, it would be deemed that the CBI has been granted permission to proceed under the rule of deemed sanction.
In response to media queries, Cabinet Minister Subodh Uniyal today confirmed that the matter is under consideration and assured that any decision taken would be in line with due legal procedures. He reiterated the government’s commitment to acting upon investigative findings through due process of law.
It may also be recalled that, in this particular case, the ED has already filed its chargesheet against retired Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Kishan Chand, Akhilesh Tiwari, and former rangers Brij Bihari Sharma and Mathura Singh, under charges of money laundering in the Special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) Court. In the same case, the ED has also provisionally attached assets worth Rs 1.75 crores belonging to Kishan Chand and Sharma, citing proceeds of crime. The alleged role of the then Forest Minister and now a senior Congress leader Harak Singh Rawat has also been widely speculated on. Rawat on the other hand claims that there had been no illegal tree felling in Pakhro Range of Corbett Tiger Reserve during his tenure as the forest minister. He also claims that the plan to go ahead with establishment of a tiger safari in Pakhro range was made with a good intention to promote eco-tourism in the state. Rawat continues to face heat in the case as well as in another case related to land purchase in Shankarpur in Dehradun for establishment of an Ayurvedic Medical College.
The case continues to attract national attention for its scale and gravity. Prior to the CBI and ED stepping in, the Uttarakhand Vigilance Department had also carried out a detailed investigation into the unauthorised construction and tree felling in Corbett Tiger Reserve’s Pakhro range. In addition, a separate inquiry was also conducted under the chairmanship of the Director General of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Multiple investigations have also been undertaken by local police and forest department officials.
With the ED’s chargesheet already submitted, all eyes are now on the CBI as it prepares to move forward pending government sanction. Once approved, the agency is expected to formally file its chargesheet, which will further advance the legal proceedings in one of Uttarakhand’s most scrutinised environmental controversies.
