Indore (Madhya Pradesh): In a major development concerning environmental protection and heritage conservation, the High Court of Madhya Pradesh at Indore has granted an interim stay on the cutting of trees at the historical Lalbagh Palace premises.
The order was issued on Oct 23, 2026, by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Alpesh Y Kogje and Justice Vinay Saraf in response to a petition filed by Ritesh against the State of Madhya Pradesh and municipal authorities.
The legal dispute centres on a Sep 23 decision by the Indore Municipal Corporation, the tree officer and other local authorities, which granted permission to cut down trees across the Lalbagh Palace grounds to clear space for a new parking area and boundary walls.
Presenting the petitioner's case, senior advocate Girish Patwardhan, assisted by advocate Oshin Upadhyay, submitted photographic evidence to the court depicting the potential environmental damage. Taking note of these photographs, the bench deemed it necessary to immediately halt all tree felling activities for the proposed project until further review.
During the proceedings, the petitioner's counsel also requested time to implead the Archaeological Survey of Madhya Pradesh as a party-respondent in the case, a plea that was granted by the court. The bench directed the petitioner to complete the required amendments to the cause title and pay the process fees within three working days.
Official notices are to be issued to the respondents, represented in court by advocate Amol Shrivastava for the Indore Municipal Corporation and deputy advocate general Shrey Raj Saxena for the State, with a returnable period of two weeks. The case will be listed for its next hearing following the completion of service.
