Himachal High Court heard arguments in a petition filed by the HPCA

Shimla (Vijyender Sharma) : The High Court of Himachal Pradesh today heard arguments advanced by both the parties in a petition filed by the HPCA seeking quashing of FIR and chargesheet in connection with illegal felling of trees on government land. Justice Sureshwar Thakur, after hearing the arguments at length, has deferred the case for further arguments on July 16th of 2015.

The criminal case was filed in the year 2013 against HPCA President Anurag Thakur, HPCA offcials Vishal Marwaha and Sanjay Sharma, Forest and Revenue officials Jagdish Ram, Bidhi Chand, Kuldeep Kumar and Jagat Ram alleging that a road leading to Hotel Pavallion was constructed after illegally felling hundreds of Chil trees on government land. It was also alleged that the HPCA has encroached govt. land by constructing boundary wall and using govt.

land for parking purpose. It was also alleged that there were a large number of Chil trees on the land leased out to the HPCA, but the Divisional Forest Officer had issued NOC on the report of the Range Officer concealing the presence of trees on the land, thus giving undue benefit to the HPCA.

In its petition, the HPCA has alleged the allegations to be malicious and politically motivated. The HPCA submitted that the FIR alleges contractual breach of the terms of the lease, for which adequate civil remedies are available and this is no ground for filing criminal case. The FIR also does not attribute any role of the HPCA and Anurag Thakur.

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