HC to constitute SIT with T.N., Kerala officials to probe wildlife offences

Police, forest and CBI officers to be made part of special team

Considering the intricacies involved in probing wildlife offences, such as poaching in the forests between Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and the delay on the part of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in investigating such crimes, the Madras High Court has decided to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising police as well as forest officers from both States. A Division Bench of Justices V. Bharathidasan and N. Sathish Kumar directed the governments of Tamil Nadu and Kerala to name, by February 14, officers of the rank of Superintendent of Police (SP) to be included in the SIT. The Bench also said CBI SP S. Nirmala Devi, who had been investigating forest-related crimes so far on court orders, could also be made part of the team.

The interim direction was issued on a batch of public interest litigation petitions related to protection of wildlife and prevention of unnatural deaths due to poaching, electrocution and road and rail accidents.

The judges wrote that India had a population of 27,312 wild Asian elephants, according to a 2017 census, and they accounted for 55% of the species’ global population.