2G case: HC orders respondents to plant 16,000 trees

Accused were also told to ensure maintenance of trees till rainy season

New Delhi, Feb. 7: Irked over firms and individuals, including Swan Telecom promoter Shahid (STPL) Usman Balwa, asking for more time to file responses on the ED and CBI appeals challenging their acquittals in 2G cases, the Delhi high court directed them Thursday to plant over 16,000 trees as penalty.

Justice Najmi Waziri said the plantation drive be carried out in Delhi’s South Ridge forest area. Granting one last opportunity to file responses to Balwa, director of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Private Limited Rajiv Agarwal, and firms — Dynamic Realty, D.B. Realty Limited and Nihar Constructions Private Limited — in the ED’s case, he asked them to plant 3,000 trees each.

It said three months have passed since the last order was passed in October 2018 but some of the parties have not yet filed their responses.

Balwa, Agarwal and the three companies along with others including former telecom minister A Raja and DMK MP Kanimozhi were acquitted by the trial court in the ED’s money laundering case.

Similarly, the high court allowed the plea of Raja’s erstwhile private secretary R.K. Chandolia, director of Kusegaon Fruits Asif Balwa and Agarwal to grant the last opportunity to file responses in the CBI’s case.

The court also Chandolia to plant 300 trees and Asif Balwa and Agarwal will plant 500 trees (in addition to his 3,000) each in South Delhi.

All of them have been asked to report to the Deputy Conservator of Forests (South) on February 15 for this purpose.

The companies will be represented through their authorised signatory.

“The plants shall be of deciduous indigenous variety and they shall be of nursery age of three and a half years old and have a height of at least six feet. They will ensure the maintenance of trees till the rainy season,” the court said.

The judge said till now he has asked litigants in various cases to plant 39,000 trees and this way, soon the forest area would revive.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing CBI and ED, said this is the best of way of imposing cost. Advocate Vijay Aggarwal, appearing for Balwas and others, who have been asked to do the plantation drive, said they welcome the court order.

“Its innovative and in right earnest. We do volunteer for the same,” Aggarwal said.

The plants shall be of deciduous indigenous variety and they shall be of nursery age of three and a half years old and have a height of at least six feet. — DELHI HIGH

COURT