Bhopal/Indore: Relatives of a BJP MLA have been linked to a tiger death in the Panna Tiger Reserve.
The forest department recently handed over details of nearly two dozen cases related to tiger deaths in Panna to the home department asking for a CBI probe. The government picked up only three cases considering them worthy of an independent investigation.
One of these cases trails back to a close relative of BJP MLA from Bundelkhand region.
According to Prayatna, an environmental action group that has been demanding CBI probe into the tiger deaths, forest officials had seized a jeep with Uttar Pradesh registration plates (UP 92/9434) in 2007. The jeep was reportedly trying to enter the Panna Tiger Reserve with armed passengers, forcefully.
The jeep was later released to one Babbu Singh, a close relative of a BJP MLA from Bundelkhand region, sources said.
The officials said that a case was lodged under the primary offence report (POR) 355/2007. There was apparently no follow up on the matter for several years.
The other two cases of tiger deaths shortlisted for a CBI enquiry also expose chronic laxity on part of the government.
In one of these cases, forest officials recovered jaw trap and bones of tiger acting on a complainant filed by one Kalyan Singh, resident of village Sukhwah in Panna district. The tiger, whose body parts were seized by the police, was reportedly killed between 2004 and 2005, but the POR was registered only in January 28 this year.
When contacted, highly placed officials said that the forest department had sought details of these cases from the director of the sanctuary. No records were provided to the headquarters.
In the third case taken up by the government, it has been revealed that the officials never lodged a POR about the killing at all. The tiger in this case was killed between 2004 and 2005. The forest department, however, did not register a POR.
Their inaction has raised serious questions on the intentions officials dealing with the Panna tiger deaths.
Ajay Dubey of Prayatna alleged that the forest department has overlooked even more serious cases with clear evidence.
"What is interesting is that they were clear cases of poaching but were recorded as revenge killings," Dubey said.
Reacting to the NGO's allegations, minister for forests, Sartaj Singh told DNA that gender imbalances and threat from dacoit 'Thokia' led to the elimination of the tigers from PTR.
The minister further clarified that, "the forest guards could not protect the tigers due to presence of dacoits in the area."
http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/GUJ-AHD-panna-trail-leads-to-mla-kin-minister-blames-dacoit-2241600.html
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