Pune collector told to inspect Sunburn site

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday has asked the Pune collector and forest conservation officer to visit the place where Sunburn Festival had been organised and file a report to ascertain whether tree cutting and land excavation had been carried out to organise the programme.

The high court was hearing a writ petition filed by Duttatrey Pasalkar, who alleged that the festival organisers had encroached upon his land, cut trees and excavated land for road widening without taking the collector’s permission. Mr Pasalkar also alleged that the organisers had not taken permission from him and the Forest Department for road widening.

The Sunburn Festival was organised from December 28 to 31, 2016 at Kesanand village near Wagholi, on the Pune-Ahamednagar road.On December 28, the petitioner had moved the high court for seeking stay on the programme but the vacation bench had refused to stay it after the government pleader made a statement that all the requisite permissions has been granted. On Monday, the petitioner’s advocate Sandep Oathak brought to the notice of the court that after completion of the programme, the Pune tehsildar had imposed a Rs 60 lakh penalty on the festival organisers for cutting trees and excavating land for road widening. However, the organisers’ advocate denied this claim. Therefore, the court directed the Pune collector and forest conservation officer to visit the place and file the report.