Supreme Court Responds to PIL on Tiger Poaching
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has begun hearings on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) calling for a nationwide Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into an extensive network involved in tiger poaching, as highlighted in a Special Investigation Team (SIT) report. The bench, which includes Chief Justice B. R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran, has sought responses from the Central government, the states of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, as well as the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
Petitioner Gaurav Kumar Bansal pointed out that the SIT report reveals significant poaching issues in the two states, noting the trafficking of tiger body parts to Myanmar. He emphasized that approximately 30% of India’s tiger population, which resides in buffer forests outside protected sanctuaries, remains highly vulnerable to poaching. The petitioner voiced concerns regarding organized poaching gangs targeting crucial habitats for tiger dispersal, as identified by the Wildlife Institute of India.
The Supreme Court has directed Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati to obtain responses from the Centre and the NTCA, setting a four-week deadline for submission. Bansal’s petition underscores that poaching increasingly occurs outside protected areas, particularly in territorial forest divisions and corridors lacking adequate surveillance.
Furthermore, Bansal referenced a recent Times of India article discussing the rising demand for tiger bone glue in Southeast Asia, which has reportedly contributed to a surge in poaching activities involving tigers and leopards in India.
