5 months ago
1
The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu wood section to destruct the ivory successful its possession lone aft taking photographs; videograph; measuring the height, value and circumference of the tusks; and aft retaining samples of each and each portion for conducting DNA tests, if necessary.
A peculiar Division Bench of Justices N. Sathish Kumar and D. Bharatha Chakravarthy, constituted to perceive cases related to forests and wildlife, issued the absorption aft Special Government Pleader (Forests) T. Seenivasan told the tribunal that steps were afoot to destruct the seized ivory successful accordance with law.
Referring to written instructions received from Principal Chief Conservator of Forests-cum-Chief Wildlife Warden Rakesh Kumar Dogra, the SGP told the tribunal that the September 2024 quality reports regarding 1 tonne of ivory having been stolen from the Arignar Anna Zoological Park astatine Vandalur were incorrect.
He said, lone 2 tusks wholly weighing 1 kilogram were stolen and that they were subsequently recovered. However, since the tribunal insisted connected destroying the seized ivory successful bid to forestall specified incidents of theft, the wood section had begun the process nether the Wild Life Disposal of Wild Animal Article Rules, 2023.
In bid to guarantee transparency successful the audit of ivory stocks and their destruction, the process would beryllium conducted earlier a committee comprising representatives from the section bodies concerned, a typical of the Revenue section (not beneath the fertile of Tahsildar) and a wildlife expert, the SGP said.
He besides stated that the tribunal appointed amici curiae T. Mohan, Chevanan Mohan, Rahul Balaji, and M. Santhanaraman would besides beryllium informed astir the demolition venue, date, and clip truthful that they could besides beryllium contiguous and inspect the process of demolition successful person.
The submissions were made during the proceeding of a petition filed by activistic S. Muralidharan. The SGP said, the wood section had besides identified an incinerator installation astatine Gummidipoondi successful Tiruvallur territory for destroying the seized ivory which was escaped of ineligible proceedings and different encumbrances.
After signaling his submissions, the judges ordered that the stocks should beryllium destroyed lone aft shooting photographs and videograph too retaining the samples for taking DNA tests, if the second was required successful aboriginal successful transportation with the transgression cases related to the seized ivory.
The tribunal besides ordered that each the details regarding the ivory stocks should beryllium tabulated and submitted earlier it connected January 23, 2026.
