SC rejects plea to stay NGT order against AOL

The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea to stay the National Green Tribunal's order holding the Art of Living (AOL) responsible for causing damage to the Yamuna floodplains while organising the World Cultural Festival in 2016.

The court, however, agreed to examine the appeal against the NGT's order.

The green tribunal had asked Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living Foundation to pay Rs 5 crore as interim compensation for restoration works for damaging the environment.

Hearing a plea against the NGT's order by Vyakti Vikas Kendra, a Chennai-based charitable trust founded by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak issued a notice to Manoj Misra on whose plea the orders were passed by the green tribunal.

Senior advocates Harish Salve and Neeraj Kishan Kaul, appearing for the petitioner, contended the orders were passed by the NGT's bench when one of the members was absent from the beginning.

Advocate Sanjay Parikh, representing Misra, agreed that one member of the bench was not there since the beginning.

On this, the bench also observed, "When a matter is part-heard and a new member joined the bench, the arguments were to be heard afresh."

The court sought a response from Misra within four weeks and told the petitioner to file rejoinder two weeks thereafter. The court put the matter for consideration after six weeks.