The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has rejected the claim made by Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi that forest officials were solely responsible for the construction of an illegal road in the Basai Meo region of Nuh district.

The 1.5-kilometre stretch, which passes through the protected Aravalli forest area, has reportedly become a major route for the transport of illegally mined material from Haryana to Rajasthan.

Constructed in 2023 without necessary approvals, the road came under scrutiny following complaints filed by villagers, who alleged it was built by the mining mafia with the support of certain government officials and the local sarpanch. They also claimed private agricultural land was forcibly taken for the road, causing loss of livelihood for farmers.

In an affidavit dated 15 May, Chief Secretary Rastogi stated that the District Forest Officer (DFO) should have intervened to stop the road’s construction. He also cited a communication lapse as the reason for missing two meetings convened by the CEC, as directed by the Supreme Court’s 19 March order.

However, in a report submitted to the apex court on 26 May, the CEC pushed back against the chief secretary’s assertions. The panel pointed out that the affidavit overlooked the inaction of other district officers during the construction of the illegal road and accused the top bureaucrat of placing undue blame on the forest department.

Taking note of the CEC’s report, a bench led by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai on Thursday pulled up the chief secretary, cautioning him against targeting forest officials and reminding him of his responsibilities beyond the state’s revenue department. The court has now asked for an action taken report outlining steps initiated to hold all responsible officials accountable.

The CEC emphasized that the forest department had actively opposed the road construction. It noted that between July 2023 and March 2025, forest officials sent 23 written communications to various authorities—including the Deputy Commissioner, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Tehsildar, and police—raising objections and seeking intervention. These communications reportedly received no response until the court’s recent involvement.

According to the CEC, forest officials also filed damage reports against several individuals, including the village sarpanch and local government officials, and repeatedly sought FIRs and police support to halt the unauthorised construction. Despite these efforts, they were unable to prevent the road’s completion.

The report concluded that responsibility for the road’s construction could not be laid solely on the forest department and called into question the silence and inaction of other district officials.

The court noted that the incident reflected the influence of a powerful mining mafia, which appeared capable of shielding not only its own members but also complicit public officials. Further proceedings are expected as the court continues to monitor compliance and accountability.