Delhi LG's Secretariat Has No Record Of LG's Visit To CAPFIMS : DDA VC Tells Supreme Court In Tree Felling Contempt Case

In the contempt case over the illegal felling of trees in Delhi's ridge forest, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) Vice Chairman Subhasish Panda has informed the Supreme Court that the office of Lieutenant Governor (LG) has no records of the visit to the LG to the CAPFIMS (Central Armed Police Form Institute Of Medical Science), New Delhi on February 3, 2024. 

It may be noted that the felling of trees was done for the road widening project from Main Chhattarpur Road to SAARC Chowk, Gaushala Road Row and from SAARC Chowk to CAPFIMS (Hospital) Row.

Earlier, the Court had noted that the email records suggested that the tree felling was carried out as per the orders of the LG VK Saxena after he visited the site on February 3, 2024. However, the DDA submitted that the LG's visit was to the CAPFIMS. The Court therefore directed the DDA to "come clean" on this aspect. On June 26, the Court expressed displeasure at the DDA's first affidavit, saying that it was trying to "protect higher-ups". The Court then directed a compliance report to be filed by July 11 disclosing records of what transpired in the visit by the Delhi Governor. 

The DDA Vice Chairman in his latest affidavit filed before the Court on July 2 has stated that the Engineer Member, DDA had received intimation on February 2 from the office of the LG regarding the visit of the LG to the CAPFIMS on February 3.

The DDA Vice Chairman further stated that the office of the LG had not recorded any minutes of the visit to CAPFIMS (Central Armed Police Form Institute Of Medical Science), New Delhi.

The reply from the Personal Secretary of LG to the Vice Chairman's mail asking for the records of the visit and the directions issued by the LG was:

"no minutes of the visit were issued by this Secretariat" 

"The office of the Commissioner-cum-OSD to the VC received an e-mail on 25.06.2024, from the Private Secretary to the Hon'ble LG informing that no minutes regarding the visit of the Hon'ble LG were issued by their Secretariat," the VC stated in the affidavit.

Case Details : Bindu Kapurea v. Subhasish Panda Dairy No. 21171-2024, In Re Subhasish Panda Vice Chairman DDA SMC(Crl) No. 2/2024