Supreme Court Overturns Fine Against Govardhan Mines for Illegal Mining

The Supreme Court has annulled an NGT order fining Govardhan Mines for environmental damages due to illegal mining in Haryana. The court stated the NGT failed to consider the mining firm's arguments and based its decision solely on a committee's report, which it deemed inadequate.

The Supreme Court has overturned a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order that imposed a nearly Rs 3 crore fine on M/s Govardhan Mines and Minerals. This decision stemmed from allegations of illegal stone mining activities causing environmental damage in the Dadam Hills of Tosham, Bhiwani, Haryana.

A bench, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and including justices Sanjay Kumar and Manmohan, has asked the NGT to re-examine the case. They criticized the tribunal for not addressing the contentions of the mining firm and instead relying solely on a committee's report. The bench emphasized that the NGT is the original court responsible for handling these arguments.

While recognizing the mining firm's argument, presented by senior advocate Shyam Divan, the Supreme Court did not concur with the application of the legal doctrine of 'res judicata'. This principle prevents a court from reconsidering a case it has already ruled on. Allegedly, a prior NGT decision on the same illegal mining issue conflicted with the panel's recent findings, leading to the current judicial review.

(With inputs from agencies.)