Premium

Delhi Ridge ‘tree felling’ matter: CJI recuses from hearing contempt plea against DDA

The contempt plea had reached the CJI bench following a difference of opinion between two other benches hearing it.

CJI Sanjiv Khanna.

Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna Monday recused from hearing a petition seeking contempt of court proceedings against officials of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) over alleged illegal felling of trees in the Ridge area for widening the approach road to the under-construction Central Armed Police Forces Institute of Medical Sciences.

Justice Khanna, presiding over a two-judge bench, expressed inability to hear the matter saying he had been with Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena previously during a visit to jails in Bihar.

“As Chairman of NALSA, I went to a Bihar jail. The L-G of Delhi was also there. We had taken a tour of the jail and this contempt petition is in his personal capacity — it may be appropriate to list it before another bench,” Justice Khanna said.

Story continues below this ad

The bench, also comprising Justice Sanjay Kumar, directed that the matter be listed in the week commencing before a bench not including Justice Khanna.

The Delhi LG is also the ex-officio Chairman of the DDA.

The contempt plea had reached the CJI bench following a difference of opinion between two other benches hearing it.

On July 24, a bench led by Justice B R Gavai took exception to another bench led by Justice A S Oka hearing the matter, pointing out that it had already issued a contempt notice to the DDA on the issue on April 24.

Story continues below this ad

Though a bench presided by former CJI D Y Chandrachud heard it for some days, it could not be completed owing to his retirement.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram