"Are State Officers Blind?": Supreme Court Slams MP Govt Over Inaction On Forest Guard's Death In National Chambal Sanctuary

The Supreme Court has reserved its orders in the suo motu matter pertaining to illegal sand mining in the National Chambal Sanctuary and threats to endangered aquatic wildlife.

On the last date of hearing, the Court granted an interim stay on a December 2025 notification by the State of Rajasthan that sought to denotify 732 hectares of sanctuary land for boundary rationalization in a suo motu matter concerning the survival of the National Chambal Sanctuary.

The Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta ordered, "...Orders reserved. List on Friday, April 17, for delivery of orders."

ASG SV Raju appeared for the State of MP, while Senior Advocate Nikhil Goel and AOR Rupali Samuel appeared as Amicus Curiae.

ASG SV Raju submitted, "...The incident is of a forest guard who was killed...run over by a tractor, allegedly doing sand mining. The report can be called for...we will get the report...We have done a lot of investigation, which will be placed on record...Second is regarding digging near the foundation of the bridge, we have constituted a fact-finding committee."

Justice Mehta said,"That will give its report after the bridge has fallen down and people have died?... Why did you allow it to happen sir? You tell us? Are the officers of the State blind?... The photographs are self-explanatory, Mr Raju...It is happening under your nose. The Affidavit in which amicus pointed out that NGT says that you do not have weapons. Then why, at all, is the State Government existing?"

ASG Raju replied, "I also suggested that they should have walkie-talkies, etc..."

Justice Mehta remarked, "There is a very peculiar thing, these excavators and bulldozers...they are very secular, right? They do not see the caste of the person they are killing...It is an extremely sad state of affairs; the state governments have totally failed, or rather, they are in connivance...Shocking...absolutely shocking that the foundation of the bridge can be dug up and the states are just lying with their eyes closed."

The Bench then suggested that it would be possible to put high-resolution cameras and a GPS monitor tracking system on all the vehicles, including loaders, tippers, excavators, etc.

The concerned officer appeared in person and submitted that the high-resolution cameras are already being installed. 

Justice Mehta said, "GPS will help tracking the vehicle which is moving with illegal mined sand. Tracking will become easier."

 The instant suo motu Writ Petition (WP) came to be registered based on certain news reports pertaining to rampant illegal mining on the sand banks of the Chambal River, thereby destroying the habitats of the protected species of Gharial. The news reports give a vivid description of the destruction of the habitat of various aquatic animals in addition to that of Gharials. Further, the news reports also refer to the de-notification of 732 hectares from the National Chambal Sanctuary by the State of Rajasthan as part of a boundary rationalization exercise.

The state governments submitted multiple affidavits admitting their inability to curb the mining mafia. The states claimed that illegal miners possessed superior weaponry compared to local authorities. Justice Mehta rejected these justifications, pointing out that the state had failed to utilize legal tools such as preventive detention, which had proven effective in similar cases of organized crime in other regions.

On March 20, the Court remarked that the officials of departments of Forest, Mining, and Water Resources, as well as the police authorities of the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, by their lethargy and inaction, would be liable to be held vicariously liable for aiding and abetting the destruction of these precious habitats by allowing illegal sand mining to continue at the National Chambal Sanctuary.

According to reports, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav released 10 gharials into the Chambal River at the sanctuary in Morena in February last year.

The National Chambal Sanctuary, also called the National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, is a 5,400 sq km tri-state protected area. Besides the endangered gharial, it is home to the red-crowned roof turtle and the endangered Ganges river dolphin.

Located on the Chambal river near the tripoint of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, the sanctuary was first declared a protected area in Madhya Pradesh in 1978 and now constitutes a long, narrow eco-reserve co-administered by the three states.

Cause Title: In Re: Illegal Sand Mining In The National Chambal Sanctuary And Threat To Endangered Aquatic Wildlife [SMW(C) No. 2/2026 Diary No. 15656/2026]