Supreme Court Closes Contempt Against Corbett Officer, Rebukes Uttarakhand High Court

Overview

• Chief Justice B.R. Gavai with Justices K. Vinod Chandran and N.V. Anjaria accepted an unconditional apology from IFS officer Rahul and ended contempt proceedings.
• The bench criticized the Uttarakhand High Court for staying the state’s sanction to prosecute while the Supreme Court was monitoring the case.
• The Supreme Court directed that the High Court proceedings be withdrawn and transferred to itself, reinforcing that forums should not entertain matters already before it.
• The top court noted Rahul’s over 21 years of unblemished service in declining punitive action, but clarified he cannot challenge the grant of sanction in any forum.
• The case stems from the TN Godavarman matter, with a CBI FIR and progress reports on alleged illegal construction and tree felling in Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve; the state issued sanction on September 16 after earlier Supreme Court observations.