HC orders to remove Asaram's Rishikesh ashram built on forest land

The Uttarakhand High Court Friday paved the way for state Forest Department to remove the Rishikesh ashram of self-styled godman Asaram, built on a piece of forest land. A bench of Justice Manoj Tiwari gave the green signal for removal of the ashram by vacating its earlier order that had stayed the Forest Department's order for removal of the ashram, built at Muni Ki Reti in Rishikesh.

The Department had in 2013 ordered removal of the ashram on the ground that the lease for the ashram land had expired in 1970 and was never renewed. The high court's order came on a plea by social activist Stefen Dubey, whose counsel Kartikey Harigupta said the lease had been given in 1950 for a period of only 20 years.

The bench revoked its stay of the Forest Department's order after the original copy of the land lease was produced before the court, Harigupta said. The council also argued that as per the provisions of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, the lease order cannot be renewed because of the anti-forest activities in the ashram.

Asaram was on April 25 sentenced to life in jail for raping a minor over five years ago in his another ashram at Manai near Jodhpur. Serving his sentence in Jodhpur Central Jail, the godman has appealed against his conviction and sentencing.