The Himachal High Court has taken serious note of allegations of large-scale illegal tree felling and timber smuggling in Una district and directed the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Una, to file a detailed affidavit explaining the movement of forest produce through the Gagret forest check-post.
Court Proceedings and Allegations
The matter came up before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin Chander Negi on the basis of a communication dated March 8, alleging rampant illegal felling of trees in the forest areas of Gagret tehsil. The complaint was supported by GPS-tagged photographs purportedly showing trucks transporting freshly cut timber. It also alleged that despite repeated representations, no effective action had been taken and that those exposing the alleged illegal activities were instead threatened with criminal proceedings.
State's Response and FIR
During the hearing, the state informed the court that an FIR had been registered under the Information Technology Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita against the user of a mobile number and administrators of a social media page for allegedly circulating misleading content and creating public mischief. The state also submitted that the Gagret forest check-post was the principal transit point for forest produce moving from Himachal to Punjab. It said GPS-tagged photographs showed vehicles crossing the check-post on February 28 and March 2.
Vehicle Inspections and Permits
According to the state, 69 vehicles carrying open-species forest produce, including safeda, poplar, bamboo, Japani toot and licinia, were inspected and permitted to proceed after verification of valid transit permits for transportation to the Hoshiarpur timber market. The Bench, however, observed that while the authorities had acknowledged that 149 vehicles were allegedly involved in illegal transportation — including 102 in the Amb Forest Range — and that 15 vehicles had been seized by the Dehra Forest Division, the record did not disclose the actual quantity of forest produce transported or the volume of movement of vehicles carrying allegedly permitted species.
Complainant's Role and Court's Directives
The state further submitted that complainant Rohit Katwal had been repeatedly requested to join the investigation but had failed to cooperate. The court clarified that no FIR had been registered against Katwal, though the administrators of the Instagram page “We Are Himachal” had allegedly not joined the investigation. Finding the material placed before it inadequate, the High Court directed the DFO, Una, to place a comprehensive affidavit on record detailing the extent of forest produce being transported through the check-post and the legality of such movement.
Additional Allegations and Oversight
The court also took note of a newspaper report published in Himachal Tribune alleging illegal felling of Khair trees in the same region. Observing that similar allegations had arisen in an earlier public interest litigation, the Bench ordered that CWPIL No. 89 of 2025 be listed along with the present matter. To ensure independent oversight, the court directed the Secretary, District Legal Services Authority (DSLA), Una, to make periodic visits to the Gagret forest check-post, submit independent status reports and make efforts to contact the original complainant. The matter has been listed for further hearing on July 13.
