The Bombay High Court Tuesday
sought the Maharashtra Forest Department's stand on a plea challenging its steps aimed at killing a "man-eater" tigress, roaming in the state's Yavatmal district forests.
On the plea by Wildlife activist Dr Jerryl Banait and Earth Brigade Foundation, the Nagpur bench of the high court issued notice to the Forest Department seeking its stand by October 19.
The petitioners have challenged the forest department's order to tranquillise and kill tigress 'Avni' (T-1), suspected to be roaming in Pandharkavda forests in Yavatmal district.
The plea also sought revocation of the appointment of Hyderabad-based sharp shooter Shafaqaut Ali Khan for the job, contending that he lacked the experience of tranquillising wild animals.
The petitioners also demanded the grounds on which 'Avni' was declared as a "man-eater", contending that the respondent has no "substantial record" to substantiate its decision to declare her a man-eater.
Counsel Kartik Shukul for the Forest Department argued that these issues had already been deliberated upon before the high court and then in the Supreme Court in the first round of litigation.
Shukul said that the Forest Department had deployed a team of over 100 people to make sure that the tigress and her cubs do not wander close to the nearby villages again.
Replying to a query by the bench of justices Bhushan Dharmadhikari and S M Modak, he said no deaths have been reported in the last two months because of these measures.
The bench also questioned the contradictory orders allegedly issued by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF).
The PCCF order had stated that tigress' cubs should be tranquillised first, as opposed to the CCF order which said the big cat should be tranquillised first.
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