Tuesday, 25 April 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Hearing on a petition filed by senior IFS officer Rajiv Bhartari, the Uttarakhand High Court issued notices to the principal secretary of forests and the current principal chief conservator of forests Vinod Singhal asking them to explain the basis on which Bhartari was served a chargesheet.
In his petition, Bhartari has contended that he was served the chargesheet without being given an opportunity to be heard and that the documents attached with the chargesheet are not clear. It will be recalled that the State government had in the past served the chargesheet to Bhartari in which he was accused of not taking concrete action in the case of illegal tree felling in Corbett national park.
On the other hand, Bhartari has maintained that he had taken concrete action in the case which is why the then Forest minister had removed Bhartari from the post of the head of forest department allegedly to protect another officer. Considering the seriousness of the matter, the HC issued notices to the principal secretary of forests and Singhal directing that the further action on the chargesheet will be subject to directions of the court in the future. The matter will be taken up for hearing next on June 6.
