The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) has summoned Congress leader and former Uttarakhand cabinet minister Harak Singh Rawat for questioning on April 2 in a money laundering case investigation. Rawat is accused of illegal occupation of forest department land and illegal cutting of trees in Corbett National Park.
The ED had previously summoned Rawat on February 29, but he requested a deferment. Rawat, a former forest minister, joined the Congress after leaving the BJP ahead of the 2022 Uttarakhand assembly polls.
The ED raided Rawat's premises on February 7 in connection with the case. During his tenure as forest minister, Rawat and departmental officers faced allegations of illegal tree cutting and construction in Corbett Park under the Tiger Safari Project.
The Forest Survey of India (FSI) reported that over 6,000 trees were illegally cut in the Corbett Tiger Reserve, exceeding the permitted 163 for the Pakhru tiger safari. The state forest department disputed the FSI's claims, citing technical issues.
The Supreme Court recently criticized Rawat and Kishan Chand, a DFO, for violating the "public trust doctrine" by allowing illegal construction and tree felling in Corbett Tiger Reserve. The court noted that the politician-bureaucrat nexus had caused significant environmental damage for political and commercial gain.
The bench highlighted that Chand had been involved in irregularities at previous postings and was recommended against sensitive posts. However, Rawat allegedly intervened to secure Chand's appointment to a sensitive position.