Supreme Court Seeks CBI Probe Into Cross-Border Tiger-Poaching Racket

The Supreme Court has asked for responses on a PIL demanding a CBI investigation into an organized tiger-poaching and illegal trade racket. The PIL highlights the threat to tigers posed by a network of poachers operating across state and international lines, seeking urgent judicial intervention.

The Supreme Court of India has issued a notice seeking responses from the Centre, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), and others regarding a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that calls for a CBI investigation into a suspected organized tiger poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking operation. This racket allegedly spans Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran reviewed the plea spearheaded by lawyer Gaurav Kumar Bansal, who underscored the severe threat posed by these syndicates to the tiger population situated both within and outside India's protected reserves.

Bansal highlighted that around 30% of tigers reside outside official reserves, citing recent news reports on widespread poaching activities. The petition insists on immediate judicial intervention to safeguard ecological security and the survival of tigers, urging the implementation of the Special Investigation Team's (SIT) recommendations for robust protection and surveillance.

(With inputs from agencies.)