'Uttarakhand government sitting like mute spectator': Supreme Court on grabbing of forest land

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday came down heavily upon the Uttarakhand government over the grabbing of forest land, after noting that the state and its authorities were sitting like "mute spectators", and it, thus, initiated a suo motu case in the matter.

A vacation bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi directed the chief secretary of Uttarakhand to form an inquiry committee and submit a report in this regard.

"What is shocking to us is that the State of Uttarakhand and authorities are sitting like mute spectators when forest land is being grabbed in front of their eyes. Thus we initiate a suo motu case," the bench said.

The case was related to 2,866 acres of government forest land in the state of Uttarakhand, a part of which was leased out to an organisation named Pashu Lok Seva Samiti.

The court also directed the chief secretary of Uttarakhand and the principal conservation secretary to set up a fact-finding committee.

"The committee will have to submit a report after assessing the situation. This could enable the court to assess the scale of the alleged encroachment of forest land and how state authorities have responded," the bench said.

The court also ordered that all the construction on forest land must be stopped immediately.

The vacant land, other than residential houses, shall be taken into possession by the Forest Department and concerned collector, the court ordered while fixing the matter for further hearing to January 5, 2026.

The organisation, Pashu Lok Seva Samiti, told the court that it had allotted parcels of the land to its members. After the organisation came under liquidation, it surrendered 594 acres of land to the Forest Department on October 23, 1984.

Deciding to examine the matter, the bench said that while development is necessary, it should not come at the cost of the environment and lives.