The Supreme Court has ordered the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to immediately refund the Rs 5 crore penalty collected from spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Art of Living organisation.
The fine was imposed after the organisation hosted the “World Culture Festival” on the Yamuna riverbank in Delhi in 2016. Activists from the “Save Yamuna River” movement had approached the National Green Tribunal (NGT), alleging the event harmed the environment and damaged the ecologically sensitive zone along the river.
Following hearings, the NGT levied a Rs 5 crore penalty on the Art of Living. The organisation’s affiliated foundation, “Vazhkai Valam Pera” trust, paid the full amount to the DDA, after which Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s side challenged the penalty before the Supreme Court.
Delivering its final verdict after arguments concluded, the Supreme Court said there was no strong evidence to show the festival directly caused damage to the sensitive ecological zone on the Yamuna riverbank. It therefore directed the DDA to return the amount collected as penalty.
The court also criticised the DDA for failing to protect the Yamuna floodplain, bringing the organisation’s long-running legal battle to an end.
