A Sonipat Court has discharged a farmer after being compelled to pay double the statutorily required environmental compensation for alleged stubble burning, despite his land being under 2 acres, a threshold below which such penalties did not apply. The Court found that the District Level Committee, Sonipat, wrongfully demanded ₹5,000 (instead of ₹2,500), without legal foundation or an opportunity for the farmer to be heard.
Shri Vikrant, SDJM, Kharkhoda condemned the District Administration’s act as an instance of unjust enrichment, causing wrongful loss to a vulnerable farmer, and a clear breach of basic rights under the Constitution of India.
The Court criticized the Sonipat authorities for pressurizing a citizen to pay more than the specified compensation, characterizing the conduct as highly condemnable in a democracy. It directed that a copy of the order be sent to the State Human Rights Commission and Environment Department for further inquiry into apparent maladministration and dishonesty in the District Level Committee.
The Court found no legal complaint had ever been properly authorized or written by the District Magistrate, a key procedural requirement, and observed that even the complained-of order was not in force on the date of the alleged offence. As a result, the FIR was quashed, the farmer was discharged, and he was awarded ₹1,000 in compensation for loss of time and expenses instructing recovery from the State Exchequer if payment is delayed more than 30 days.