Karnataka forest minister orders probe into killing of leopards by villagers

Bengaluru

Minister for forest, environment and ecology Eshwar Khandre on Monday directed the officials concerned to investigate into the negligence by the personnel present that led to the death of a leopard by the villagers.

The minister’s remarks came a day after the villagers killed a leopard in the presence of Raichur regional forest personnel. In a letter to the additional chief secretary to the government, department of forest, he demanded an investigation into the negligence by the responsible forest officers. He emphasised that appropriate action should be taken against those found guilty.

He directed the additional chief secretary to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and submit a detailed report at the earliest. He underscored the importance of accountability and the need for prompt action to prevent similar incidents in the future.

For three months, the leopard had been roaming in Karadigudda village, causing panic among villagers. Despite numerous reports and requests from villagers to the forest department to capture and relocate the leopard, no effective action was taken. The residents had repeatedly asked the officials to either trap the leopard or find an alternative solution to mitigate the threat, according to people familiar with the matter.

On Sunday, the leopard attacked four people. Following this, the villagers armed with sticks and stones went to the forest to search for the leopard. They killed the animal while the police and forest personnel attempted to control the crowd to save the animal.

The killing in the presence of forest department personnel has highlighted severe lapses in the department’s response to wildlife management and public safety.

Raichur DCF B Praveen told HT: “Following the orders of the state forest minister, Kalburgi chief conservator of forests Sunil Panvel visited the spot on Monday and gathered all information related to the incident. The officer will conduct a probe into the situation in which the leopard was killed and verify the role of the officers in the incident. After the probe is over, he will submit a report to the state forest department secretary.”