J-K HC orders hotel sealing for felling trees

The J-K High Court has directed the Anantnag Deputy Commissioner to seal one of the Valley’s biggest privately owned hotel Grand Mumtaz in Pahalgam for violating court directions and felling of green kail and pine trees.

A Division Bench, which is hearing a PIL about violation of the Pahalgam Master Plan, also issued contempt notices against hotel owner Mushtaq Ahmad Gania alias Chai and its vice-president Abdul Rashid for damaging 140 standing green forest trees and carrying out construction at picturesque tourist resort in defiance of the HC directions.

The orders of the Bench, comprising acting Chief Justice F M Ibrahim Kalifullah and Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar, followed perusal of a report by the Principal District Judge, Anantnag, and the court-appointed Expert Committee, wherein the violation of court orders has been reported by the Grand Mumtaz.