Residents of Mel Thattapallam in Kotagiri have complained of being subject to ‘harassment’ and ‘torture’ by the Forest Department staff investigating the poaching of a leopard in a tea estate on December 16.
The leopard was found dead after being ensnared, and had three of its paws cut off by poachers. Following the incident, forest officials launched an intensive investigation, trying to find out the people responsible for the incident. The investigations gained further importance after a spate of hunting and poisoning incidents in the Nilgiris forest division in 2023, where tigers, leopards and even gaur were killed by hunting and poisoning in the division.
Speaking to The Hindu, A. Mannarasan, zonal deputy secretary of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi, who is part of a collection of political parties which have raised their voices against alleged custodial abuse of suspects, said that a total of 15 poor, agricultural labourer-families reside in Mel Thattapalam estate, where the leopard was found dead.
