Mumbai: The Supreme Court will hear on Friday a plea challenging the cutting of trees in Aarey Colony for construction of a Metro car shed.
A Bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and Surya Kant on Thursday agreed to hear the petition when senior advocate Gopal Shankarnarayanan mentioned the matter, stressing that the felling of trees was on overnight despite an earlier stay ordered by the top court.
“We have photographs," the lawyer said, urging an immediate hearing on Friday, since the JCB machines would be otherwise deployed over the weekend.
He said the matter was mentioned by him before the Chief Justice of India, who directed him to this bench.
He was referring to a 2019 suo motu order by the top court, taking cognizance of a letter petition to the CJI by law student Rishav Ranjan, restraining any more cutting of trees in Aarey Colony after a submission by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on behalf of the Maharashtra Government that no further trees will be cut.
