Chandigarh, June 14 -- The Punjab and Haryana high court has directed petitioners in at least five bail cases to plant saplings of indigenous plants during the upcoming monsoon season. The vacation bench, headed by chief justice Sheel Nagu, passed these orders on Friday while hearing bail matters involving accused individuals from various districts in Punjab. The petitioners face charges ranging from assault, criminal intimidation, forgery, bribery, to cheating. The court mandated that each petitioner must plant 10 saplings of indigenous species at a public place within 15 days and submit photographic proof of the plantation to the police station where their FIR is registered. Failure to provide such proof, or submission of false information, would allow the state to file an application seeking cancellation of bail, the bench said. Besides this eco-friendly condition, the court also imposed standard bail conditions requiring petitioners to furnish personal bonds, cooperate with ongoing investigations. Advocate Gaurav Sharma, representing one of the petitioners, said the chief justice has issued similar orders in previous cases. "These rulings might have gone unnoticed earlier, but it appears the court is using bail conditions to foster environmental consciousness," he added....