SRINAGAR: The Court of the Special Mobile Magistrate, Budgam, has directed the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Budgam, to submit a report on allegations that police authorities were interfering with the grazing activities of residents of Branwar village in the Chaskaninad meadows of the Doodh Ganga forest range, bordering Poonch.
The direction was issued during the hearing of a civil suit filed by members of the pastoral community of Branwar, Chadoora, seeking recognition of their community grazing rights under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.
According to the suit, the plaintiffs have sought directions to the competent authorities to initiate the statutory process for recognition of their traditional community grazing rights under the Act.
Appearing for the plaintiffs, Advocate Shakir Mushtaq Parray submitted before the court that police officials were preventing members of the community from grazing their livestock at Chaskaninad Meadow and were allegedly harassing them despite grazing being their traditional occupation and principal source of livelihood. He argued that the alleged interference was causing serious hardship to pastoral families dependent on the meadows.
Taking note of the submissions, the court directed the SSP, Budgam, to file a report indicating whether police authorities were interfering with the grazing activities of the plaintiffs’ livestock at Chaskaninad Meadow.
The court has sought the report before the next date of hearing and listed the matter for July 13, 2026. A copy of the order has also been forwarded to the SSP, Budgam, for compliance.
The civil suit concerns the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, under which the plaintiffs are seeking formal recognition of their claimed customary community grazing rights over the traditional grazing grounds. The court’s latest direction is confined to obtaining a factual report from the district police regarding the allegations raised during the proceedings.
