SC to consider hearing fresh plea for not evicting forest dwellers

The Supreme Court Tuesday said it would consider listing of a fresh plea seeking direction to the authorities not to evict any forest dweller and to set up an SIT to look into illegal acquisition of tribals' land.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Sanjiv Khanna took cognisance of the plea, filed by Chhattisgarh-based Tarika Tarangini Larka, seeking direction to the Centre not to allot possession of any forest land belonging to tribals to anyone other than 'Adivasis' residing in that particular area.

"We will see to it (listing of plea). We will not assure that it will be come on Monday," the bench said when lawyer M L Sharma sought urgent listing of the plea.

Sharma had mentioned the plea for urgent hearing on Friday before a bench headed by Justice A K Sikri and was told to mention it before the bench headed by the CJI.

The apex court had last Thursday stayed its February 13 order directing 21 states to evict 11.8 lakh illegal forest dwellers whose claims over