CHENNAI: The Madras high court has proposed constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising representatives from the CBI, Tamil Nadu and Kerala police and forest departments to probe all forest-related offences, including elephant poaching.
A division bench of Justice V Bharathidasan and Justice N Sathish Kumar directed the CBI, Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments to recommend suitable officers to be part of the SIT by February 14.
The court passed the order on Thursday, on a batch of pleas seeking to stop deaths of elephants in train accidents and poaching.
During the hearing, the court also directed the Union forest ministry to consider and dispose of within two weeks a proposal sent by the Tamil Nadu forest department for sanctioning of funds to implement a scheme to protect wildlife.
Shekhar Kumar Niraj, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Chief Wildlife Warden of Tamil Nadu, informed the court that the Nilgiris Mountain Railway (NMR) has constructed wall between Coonoor railway station and Hillgrove railway station, which is a major elephant migratory path, because of that, the elephants are finding it difficult to cross the railway tracks and they take dangerous alternative route, which may result in falling into gorges. Recording the same, the bench directed counsel for the Southern Railways to get instructions and file a report regarding the obstruction caused near the railway lines in NMR. The court also directed a joint inspection by the forest department and the Southern Railway to find a suitable solution for free movement of elephants in NMR route.
