Don't cut any more trees in Aarey till Oct 21: SC tells Maharashtra govt

On Sunday, the court received a letter by the students' group against the axing of trees in the Aarey forest, decided to pursue it as PIL and constituted a "special bench" to hear the matter

The Supreme Court on Monday restrained authorities from cutting any more trees in Mumbai's Aarey colony for a Metro car shed but its order came amid an admission by the Maharashtra government that whatever was required to be cut has already been done.

The order for status quo was given by a bench specially constituted after the apex court took suo motu (on its own) cognisance of a letter petition addressed to Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi by law student Rishav Ranjan seeking a stay on felling of trees in the colony. The apex court is on a week-long Dussehra