Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court has taken a strict stance against alleged unauthorized activities related to a proposed solar energy project in the environmentally sensitive Sambhar Lake region. The court has deemed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed for the solar plant without proper approval as contempt of court and initiated proceedings against the officials responsible.
High Court Takes Suo Motu Action
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma and Justice Sangeeta Sharma passed the order on 22 January while hearing a suo motu case on wetland protection along with a public interest litigation filed by Dinesh Kumawat. The PIL had highlighted environmental concerns in the Sambhar Lake ecosystem.
Senior advocate R.B. Mathur informed the court that in August 2023, Hindustan Salts Limited (HSL) had signed an MoU with SJVN Green Energy Ltd to establish a solar energy project on land under the Sambhar Lake ecosystem. This land had been allocated to Sambhar Salts Ltd, a subsidiary of HSL, which falls within the notified wetland area.
Court Observes Misleading Conduct
The bench noted that the MoU was signed while the matter was pending before the High Court, and despite multiple hearings and interim orders, the court was not informed. The bench observed that this amounted to an attempt to mislead the judiciary and interfere with the judicial process, which prima facie constitutes an offense under the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.
Officials Summoned
Following this, the court took suo motu cognizance against:
- Commodore (Retd.) Kamlesh Kumar, former Chairman & MD of HSL
- Ajay Kumar Singh, SJVN Green Energy
- Harsh Verma, newly appointed CEO of Sambhar Salts Ltd
The registry has been directed to issue summons for personal appearance of all three officials on 11 February 2026.
Background: Wetland Protection
The case relates to a Supreme Court order from April 2017 directing the protection of wetlands such as Sambhar Lake, whose monitoring has been consistently overseen by the Rajasthan High Court. The court has reiterated strict prohibitive orders to safeguard this ecologically sensitive area.
Discover more from SD NEWS agency
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.