On December 22, 2025, the Supreme Court sharply criticized the Uttarakhand Government for allowing forest land grabbing. The court said that the State Government and its officials were like "mute spectators" while forest land was being seized. The vacation bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took suo motu action and ordered the Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand to form a fact-finding committee. The committee must submit a report on the land grabbing issue. The court also banned private parties from creating any third-party rights on the forest land, and no construction is allowed. It directed that "vacant land, other than residential houses, shall be taken in possession by the Forest Department." The court will hear the matter again after the winter break, on Monday. This move follows a plea by Anita Kandwal regarding illegal possession of a large area of forest land in Uttarakhand.