Ranchi: The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday came down heavily on the state government over the prolonged delay in completing the investigation into alleged large-scale illegal tree felling across several districts during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020.
A division bench of Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Sanjay Prasad questioned why the CID probe has remained pending for four years and sought a clear explanation on the current status of the investigation.
The court observed that the inquiry appears to be limited mainly to the Panki area of Palamu district, even though the allegations cover multiple districts across Jharkhand. It directed the state to clarify the actual scope of the investigation and submit a detailed report.
The petitioner’s counsel, Abhay Kumar Mishra, told the court that although the case was transferred to the CID, there has been little progress. He also alleged that attempts were being made to protect those involved in the case.
Taking serious note of the submissions, the bench asked the government to respond on whether the probe also includes a wider conspiracy angle.
The matter has been scheduled for further hearing after two weeks.
Earlier, the state government had informed the court that involvement of Forest Department personnel had come to light during the investigation. It also stated that chargesheets had been filed against two officials, while an arrest warrant had been issued against another accused.
The CID is currently investigating two FIRs registered in Palamu district in connection with the case. The High Court has repeatedly criticised the slow pace of the probe, observing that prolonged delays in such matters cannot be justified on procedural grounds.
As per the petition, the alleged illegal felling took place during the lockdown period in 2020 across districts including Jamtara, Palamu, West Singhbhum (Chaibasa), and Ranchi. It is alleged that the timber was transported using more than 200 trucks during the period.
The investigation remains ongoing under the CID.
With inputs from IANS