SC rejects contempt plea, says Avni killed in accordance with order

SUPREME COURT HAD PERMITTED THE KILLING OF MAN-EATER TIGRESS AVNI IN SEPT 2018

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday closed contempt proceedings initiated against Maharashtra government officials over the death of maneater tigress Avni in November 2018.

The Court issued notices to Maharashtra principal secretary Vikas Kharge, principal chief conservator forests (Nagpur), deputy conservator forests (Nagpur), deputy conservator forests (Pandharkawada) and member secretary, NTCA, on February 10 on a petition filed by a wildlife activist Sangeeta Dogra.

The petition raised doubts on the tigress being a man-eater and also pointed out that the forest officials violated the Supreme Court’s order of September 11, 2018, restraining any kind of celebrations over the death of the tigress.

On Friday, the officials who were issued notices filed their responses, claiming that there are no grounds for contempt. They said that the order to shoot the tigress was confirmed by the top court itself in its September 2018 order. On the aspect of celebration, the officers stated that they had no knowledge about the function to felicitate the shooter as it was organised by villagers. This event did not involve forest officials, they submitted to the court.

Dogra said in her petition that villagers arranged a felicitation function for the shooter, a professional hunter, on November 14, 2018. At the event, they presented a silver statue of tigress along with a cash reward to the hunter.

The bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde and comprising justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, said: “If villagers believe that they will not be attacked again and decide to celebrate, how can the forest officials ensure that they don’t celebrate?”