Hyderabad: Justice NV Shravan Kumar of the Telangana High Court has directed an individual named M Mallesh to plant 200 saplings in a reserve forest area as compensation for clearing 2 acres of forest land with his tractor.
Mallesh had filed a petition after his tractor was seized by forest officials for ploughing and clearing the reserve forest land in Bellampally’s Kushenpally forest range.
While ordering the release of Mallesh’s tractor upon furnishing a bond of Rs. 50,000 and two sureties of equivalent worth, Justice Shravan Kumar stated that he would not let the offender go unpunished for destroying the forest land.
The judge directed Mallesh to plant 100 saplings per acre in the 2 acres he had cleared, totalling 200 saplings.
The judge expressed scepticism regarding the petitioner’s claims, noting a rise in forest offences despite the Supreme Court’s clear directives to safeguard forest areas and green cover.
The petitioner argued that he was not involved in the alleged deforestation, stating he merely rented his tractor to local farmers.
However, forest officials presented evidence indicating that he had a history of similar offences, undermining his defence.
