In a unique instance of judicial accountability intertwined with environmental responsibility, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed a police officer to plant at least 1,000 saplings for delaying the service of a court notice to a rape survivor.
The division bench of Justices Vivek Agarwal and A.K. Singh issued the order against Station House Officer (SHO) Ravendra Dwivedi of City Kotwali Police Station in Satna district during a hearing on Tuesday. The court was dealing with a criminal appeal filed by a man convicted of raping a minor, who had challenged the trial court’s life imprisonment verdict.
Under procedural law, a notice must be served to the victim when such a conviction is appealed. The delay in this case, attributed to SHO Dwivedi, prompted the court to impose not just a fine, but an environmental duty.
“The SHO shall bear the cost of this plantation on his own,” the court ordered, adding that the plantation must be completed between July 1 and August 31, 2025, specifically in Chitrakoot, Satna district.
Dwivedi, who had already been fined ₹5,000 by the Inspector General of Police for the lapse, expressed remorse before the court and volunteered to plant trees as a form of atonement. The bench accepted his apology but made the plantation commitment a formal part of the court’s directive.
The High Court further ordered that fruit-bearing trees like mango, jamun, mahua, and guava be planted and that photographs along with GPS locations be submitted to the Registry as evidence of compliance. An affidavit by the Superintendent of Police will also be required following inspection of the planted saplings.
The court emphasized that the trees must be maintained for at least one year to ensure proper germination and survival.
