Indian
Express: Bangalore: Friday, 17 April 2015.
Wildlife
experts have accused the state Forest Department of failing to investigate or
prosecute offenders in hundreds of cases pertaining to Nagarhole Tiger Reserve
(NTR), the country’s most precious tiger habitat. They claim investigations are
still pending in a whopping 83 per cent of the cases.
Documents
accessed under the Right to Information (RTI) by Wildlife First, an NGO, have
revealed that out of the 704 cases registered as on September 17, 2013,
investigations have been completed and complaints or chargesheets filed in only
120 cases.
According to
Wildlife First trustees, the director of NTR has failed to ensure timely and
quality investigation of various cases registered in his jurisdiction, though
there is almost no staff shortage.
Reacting to
the allegations, NTR director R Gokul said he has undertaken all conservation
measures to the best of his ability since he took over in 2012. “I have
protected it so much, and it is surprising that I am receiving brickbats,” he
said.
“During my
tenure, only four to five cases have been filed. The 704 cases were filed
between 1992 and 2013...I cannot be held responsible for what happened before
my tenure.”
He said that
after he took over, he has held regular crime review meetings and taken all
possible action.
But Praveen
Bhargav, managing trustee of the organisation, said crucial information on the
colossal pendency of cases, which was recorded in the minutes of a review
meeting on September 19, 2013, was wilfully suppressed by the director.
He said the
matter was pursued through an appeal before the additional principal chief
conservator of forests and field director, Project Tiger, Mysuru. Hearings were
held on October 7, 2014, but Gokul did not participate and deputed an ACF to
represent him, Bhargav said. “The appeal
was upheld and all the relevant information and certified copies were duly
provided. An analysis of documents and data revealed the serious situation that
exists on the ground with regard to investigation and prosecution of offences,”
Bhargav said.
Gokul said he
could not attend the hearing as he got held up in his hometown Ooty because of
another case that was scheduled at that time. “What is there to hide? They are
making allegations about the forest fire cases just to get foreign funding for
their organisation,” he said.
K M
Chinnappa, another trustee, said official statistics showed that investigations
have been completed in only 120 cases. If this is the situation with NTR, he
said “one shudders to even think of other lesser known protected areas”.
A Wildlife
First trustee said, “It is not known if he has reported this shocking state of
affairs to the office of the chief wildlife warden, who is the statutory
authority under the Wildlife Act.” Further, he said 25 FIRs were registered
during the uncontrolled forest fires in 2012, but not even one offender has
been identified even after three years.
Appealing to
the Karnataka PCCF for immediate action, Wildlife First has called for a
thorough crime review of all national parks to identify high priority cases.
It also sought
a competent special team comprising authorised officers to take up and complete
investigations of high priority cases and ensure that complaints under the
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 are filed before the jurisdictional magistrate
in a time-bound manner.
Karnataka
PCCF Vinay Luthra said he would look into the issue and speak to the director
about it.
.JPG)
.JPG)
