SIKKIM HIGH COURT ISSUES JUDGEMENT ON THE DIVISIONAL FOREST OFFICER V/S ASHOK TSHERING BHUTIA

GANGTOK, India, June 15 -- Sikkim High Court issued the following judgment/order on May 15:

1. The questions that this Court is called upon to determine in this Appeal are;

(i) Whether the land claimed by the Respondent, bearing Plot Nos.311, 312 and 313 measuring a total area of 1.7560 hectares belongs to him;

(ii) Whether the Appellant No.1 and the Appellant No.2 have established that, the land claimed by the Respondent vide the aforementioned documents is in fact reserved forest and has been encroached upon by the Respondent?

2. Before the Court of the Learned District Judge, South Sikkim, Namchi, the Appellant No.1 was the Defendant No.1 [The Divisional Forest Officer (T), Department of Forest, Environment and Wildlife Management]...