A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice B.D. Guru sought answers from the Forest Department on existing security arrangements for wildlife and measures planned to prevent such incidents in the future. The bench noted that a tiger was found dead on December 15 in the Ghui forest range of the Guru Ghasidas–Tamor–Pingla Tiger Reserve.
According to the case details, the tiger was killed after coming in contact with an electric current. During the post-mortem, conducted under the supervision of forest officials, it was found that the animal’s claws, teeth and jaw had been removed. Burn marks were also detected on its back, indicating electrocution. The carcass was cremated following the examination.
Forest officials have claimed that efforts are underway to trace the accused, but the court expressed dissatisfaction over recurring incidents of wildlife killings. The bench observed that despite previous assurances by the state, cases of poaching continue to surface.
The High Court noted that it has already been hearing a public interest case related to wildlife protection in the state. During the last hearing on December 10, the government had informed the court that no fresh poaching cases had been reported, following which the matter was listed for March 2026. However, the Surajpur incident prompted the court to resume scrutiny.
The bench has now asked the PCCF to file a detailed response through a personal affidavit, outlining preventive mechanisms, enforcement strategies and future action plans.
Earlier, a similar incident involving the killing of an adult leopard in the Khairagarh–Dongargarh region, where the animal’s paws and teeth were removed, had also drawn judicial attention. The court has directed the state government to submit a comprehensive report in that case by December 19.
