Jumbo poaching: Madras HC pulls up CBI

Fuming over the agency’s performance, the judges warned of forming a special investigation team (SIT) to conduct the probe, besides recording that the CBI could not do the investigation.
Image of wild elephant used for representational purposes (File Photo | EPS)
Image of wild elephant used for representational purposes (File Photo | EPS)

CHENNAI: Expressing displeasure over the poor progress made by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in probing into elephant poaching, the Madras High Court has summoned the Superintendent of Police (SP) of the Central agency to appear before it at the next hearing.

A division bench of Justices V Bharathidasan and N Sathish Kumar on Wednesday asked why even the stolen ivory could not be retrieved by the CBI, which was entrusted with probing elephant poaching in Tamil Nadu.

Fuming over the agency’s performance, the judges warned of forming a special investigation team (SIT) to conduct the probe, besides recording that the CBI could not do the investigation. They ordered the CBI SP to appear before the bench through video-conferencing on January 21, and directed for a status report to be filed. The bench issued the orders on a batch of petitions in connection with poaching of elephants and deaths on railway tracks.

Counsel for the Railways PT Ramkumar was questioned on the steps taken to check the deaths of elephants on the tracks since the court had last month suggested setting up thermal cameras on locomotives and in areas where elephants cross the tracks.

Stating that a meeting in this regard will be held this week, the counsel added that a report would be filed when the matter comes up next. The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had ordered a CBI investigation into elephant poaching in February, 2021 as the wildlife crime control bureau had said an inter-State gang was involved in poaching.

‘Will form SIT instead’
Fuming over the CBI’s performance, the judges warned of forming a special investigation team (SIT) to conduct the probe, besides recording that the CBI could not do the investigation

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com