In response to an incident where two Delhi Police officers engaged in a dispute with a lawyer regarding tree damage resulting from a government agency's construction activities, the Delhi High Court has issued a directive of planting 100 trees as a resolution to the matter.
As per the instructions from the Delhi High Court, the two officers involved in the dispute have been specifically instructed to plant 100 fruit-bearing trees. These trees, including pilkhan, jamun, amaltas, goolar, banyan, kadamb, maulsari, and papri, to be planted at the Parade Ground in Kingsway Camp. The court's order emphasizes that each tree should have undergone a minimum three-year nurturing period in the nursery and have a height of at least 10 feet before being planted.
During the altercation between the police officers and the lawyer, it was brought to the court's attention by the latter that he had previously informed the officers about the obligation to safeguard the trees from damage. The lawyer pointed out that such protection was required under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act (DPTA) and the court's own directives. Despite these notifications, the lawyer claimed that the construction works were still permitted to proceed.
In response, the officers have expressed their sincere apologies for the incident that took place. The Amicus Curiae involved in the case remarked that the officers' actions had caused discomfort to an Advocate, who is an Officer of the Court. Furthermore, substantial judicial time was consumed during the various hearings related to this case. Therefore, the Amicus Curiae suggested that the two police officers should undertake social responsibility, such as tree plantation, as a means to address the matter.
Alongside the directive to plant the trees, the order issued by the Delhi High Court also included a requirement for the Delhi Police to distribute copies of the order throughout its entire network. The purpose of this circulation is to raise awareness among police personnel about their responsibility to safeguard trees and foster a sense of sensitivity towards their protection.
To prevent the recurrence of similar undesirable conflicts with lawyers and conscientious members of the public, the order explicitly mandated the Delhi Police to distribute copies of the court's order throughout its entire network, including Beat Constables. This widespread circulation is intended to sensitize all police personnel about their obligation to safeguard trees and promptly assist the Tree Officer as mandated by section 20 of the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994.
