In a dramatic twist on the green saga at Bangalore University, the Karnataka High Court has hit the brakes on tree cutting on the Jnana Bharati campus! On Friday, the court ordered authorities to stop chopping down trees for now on lands given or leased to various public and autonomous institutions meant for their office buildings. The High Court’s Division Bench, led by Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Poonacha, popped this interim order in response to a public interest petition from Swayam Jagruti Seva Trust, Bengaluru. The petition raised a big red flag after the petitioner noticed that trees were already being cut and some even moved from the allotted lands to clear space. Earlier, on November 21, the court had called on the State government and others, including all the institutions that received lands on the campus, to explain their roles. The bench wanted to know if anyone had seriously checked whether taking forest land meant for a biopark was absolutely necessary before handing it out for construction. Hearing was rescheduled for December 9. Meanwhile, the court has asked the government to provide full details of all trees already cut on these lands. Will we get the full story? That is what the court wants to find out soon. These lands were granted to some key players like the University Grants Commission (UGC), Central University of Karnataka, National Law School of India University, and more. Now the question remains: Is building offices worth losing beloved trees in this lush campus? The upcoming hearing on December 9 will be crucial to decide the fate of both the green cover and the institutions’ plans on the Jnana Bharati campus.