Dehradun: The Uttarakhand High Court has ordered the transfer of corruption trials against the former Corbett Tiger Reserve Director and several senior forest officials to the Special CBI Court in Dehradun. The court ruled that once the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) completes its investigation and files a charge sheet, only the designated CBI court has the legal authority to conduct the trial. The ruling is an important step in one of Uttarakhand’s biggest forest corruption cases.
Why Did the Uttarakhand High Court Transfer the Corbett Tiger Reserve Corruption Trials
Justice Siddhartha Sah passed the order while hearing an application filed by the CBI under Section 447 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. The CBI requested that two criminal cases pending before the Special Judge under the Prevention of Corruption Act in Haldwani be transferred to the Special Judge (Anti-Corruption), CBI, Dehradun because the agency had already completed its investigation and filed a charge sheet before the notified CBI court.
What Is the Corbett Tiger Reserve Corruption Case
The case is linked to the controversial Pakhro Tiger Safari Project inside the Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand. According to the CBI investigation, large-scale illegal construction and tree felling allegedly took place during the development of the safari project without obtaining mandatory environmental and wildlife approvals from the competent authorities.
Investigators have alleged that more than 6,000 trees were illegally felled and several buildings, roads and other structures were constructed in violation of forest and wildlife laws. These allegations led to judicial intervention and a detailed CBI investigation.
Who Is the Former Corbett Tiger Reserve Director
The main accused is Rahul (IFS), who was serving as the Director of Corbett Tiger Reserve during the implementation of the Pakhro Tiger Safari project. The CBI has accused him of playing a key role in the alleged illegal tree felling, unauthorized construction and misuse of official powers. His name appears in the CBI charge sheet filed before the Special CBI Court.
Which Senior Forest Officials Are Named
Besides the former Director, the CBI charge sheet names several senior forest officials, including:
- Akhilesh Tiwari, then Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) and Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Kalagarh Tiger Reserve Division.
- Mathura Singh Mavdi, then Deputy Ranger, Pakhro Range.
- Surendra Singh, then Forester (Van Daroga), Pakhro Range.
- Sandeep Arya, then Forest Guard, Pakhro Range.
The CBI alleges that these officials were involved in implementing or facilitating works connected to the alleged illegal construction and tree felling inside the protected forest area.
Corbett Tiger Reserve Corruption Trials: What Charges Have Been Filed
The accused have been booked under several laws, including:
- Indian Penal Code (IPC)
- Prevention of Corruption Act
- Forest (Conservation) Act
- Indian Forest Act
- Wildlife (Protection) Act
The investigation relates to alleged corruption, abuse of official position, illegal construction and violations of forest and wildlife protection laws.
Corbett Tiger Reserve Corruption Trials: Why Did the CBI Seek Transfer
The CBI informed the High Court that it had already taken over the vigilance investigation, collected all records, completed the probe and filed a comprehensive charge sheet before the Special CBI Court in Dehradun.
The agency argued that allowing similar proceedings to continue before another court would create jurisdictional confusion and procedural inconsistency. Therefore, all related cases should be heard by the designated CBI court.
What Did the High Court Observe
The Uttarakhand High Court accepted the CBI’s submissions. The court observed that once the CBI files its charge sheet before the competent Special CBI Court, that court alone has jurisdiction to conduct the trial. Continuing proceedings before another special court would not be legally appropriate and could result in conflicting judicial proceedings.
