BANGALORE: The High Court on Wednesday ordered issue of contempt notices to three forest officials for delay in conducting a survey of the boundary to solve a dispute between A M Minerals and Associate Mining Company.The division bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice Ashok B Hinchigeri issued notices to former Bellary Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF) S Muthanna, present DCF N Devraj and Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) T V Srinivas, who was then an in-charge DCF.The contempt petition was filed by A M Minerals for failing to comply with court directions. In 2009, a division bench headed by the then Chief Justice P D Dinakaran had directed the Forest Department to resolve the dispute by conducting a survey in presence of Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) and the Survey of India officials.However, the matter was kept in abeyance for a long time, while the Forest Department officials in their affidavit before the court had stated that the IBM was not responding despite several communications. The court had granted extensions to comply with the directions till June this year.However, after the submission of the report, the court sought an explanation on the delay. The court refused to believe the reason for delay that the IBM was not cooperative and ordered issue of contempt notices to the officials.
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