Granting significant relief to the Trident Group, the High Court has stayed the action initiated by the Punjab Pollution Control Board. The Court ruled that no punitive measures shall be taken without first providing a 30-day window of opportunity.
The Court stated that, unless a grave environmental emergency is established, it is mandatory to afford the company a reasonable opportunity to rectify any deficiencies. The company has also been granted the liberty to approach the National Green Tribunal (NGT) if deemed necessary.
Trident faced action after Rajinder Gupta switch
Trident, the company owned by Rajya Sabha MP Rajinder Gupta, who recently switched his political allegiance from the AAP to the BJP, had characterized the Board’s action as an act of political vendetta.
Not a routine inquiry, rather a coercive measure
Representing the company, counsel submitted to the High Court that the inspection conducted by a 30-member team on the evening of April 30, around 7:30 PM was not a routine inquiry but rather a coercive measure intended to exert pressure. Trident argued before the Court that the company had obtained the requisite permits by April 13 and that compliance levels were found to be satisfactory during recent inspections. Consequently, the sudden nature of the action raises serious questions. The company contends that this step was taken only after a shift in the founder’s political allegiance, thereby rendering the action appear retaliatory.
Dismissing the company’s allegations, the PPCB asserted that the exercise was merely a routine inspection. Objecting to the use of the term “raid,” the Board clarified that the inspection of large-scale industrial units constitutes a standard part of its operational protocol, noting that hundreds of such inspections have been conducted in recent months.