Tamil Nadu, Karnataka not on same page on Sathyamangalam tiger poaching case
Earlier this month, in a tiger poaching case, Karnataka arrested a decoy Selvakumar
Update: 2015-10-21 05:57 GMT
Chennai: Discord between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu foresters continues with the arrest of an informer from Tamil Nadu in connection with a Sathyamangalam tiger poaching case. The new twist in the tale is that the FIR copies and judicial remand reports filed by both states, available with Deccan Chronicle, contradict each other on the same poaching case.
Earlier this month, in a tiger poaching case, Karnataka arrested a decoy Selvakumar. In the same case, Tamil Nadu arrested the offender Sekar on Oct. 18. Both are now in judicial custody in different states. And both the states are holding on to their share of the seized bones of the same tiger.
Outraged conservationists in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have started petitioning the Karnataka government to hand over the case to Tamil Nadu as the place of poaching and the poacher belonged to TN. The general consensus is that prosecution by two states in a case will be a double jeopardy (no person shall be prosecuted or punished for the same offence more than once) for the accused. “Yes, preliminary investigations and telephone calls by Selvakumar reveal that he is a decoy, but the Karnataka foresters do not co operate and the Sathyamangalam DFO Rajkumar has been asked to investigate the matter further,” a top Tamil Nadu forest official told DC.
“If prompt action is not taken against such abuse of law, this will affect participation of people and NGOs in wildlife conservation,” said Karnataka-based conservationist D.V. Girish, executor, Wildcane.
In his complaint to the Karnataka chief secretary, Girish also alleged that to cover up their failure in rounding up the poacher, Karnataka foresters have been falsely implicating conservationists and threatening informers based in Tamil Nadu. The complaint letter, also forwarded to National Tiger Conservation Authority, has demanded a CID inquiry into the issue seeking action against errant officials.
At the time of questioning, Selvakumar reportedly revealed that he works for a NGO run by noted tiger biologist K. Ullas Karanth. Now, the Karnataka forest department has served a notice on Karanth asking him to appear for questioning.
When contacted, Karanth’s office in Bengaluru said he was currently in US and not available for comments. According to the FIR copy, Selvakumar has been booked under Section 9, 39 and 51 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act. However, sources close to Karanth said a few vested interests wanted to prevent his research in Karnataka forests, as he was a regularly exposing illegal tiger trade in South India.