India, July 29 -- The Supreme Court has directed the governments of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to issue notifications within two weeks granting legal protection to forest officers and forest guards working in the National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary, holding that their role in combating illegal sand mining, poaching and other unlawful activities is intrinsically connected with the maintenance of public order under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.

A bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said there was "no justification for any further delay" in issuing notifications under Section 218(3) of the BNSS after noting that frontline forest personnel continued to feel "handicapped and inhibited" in per...