Death of five tigers in Karnataka: Eshwar Khandre suspends two officials

Bengaluru: Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has suspended two officials for negligence and dereliction of duty in connection with the 'unnatural death' of five tigers in the Male Mahadeshwara (MM) Hills, officials said.

The minister has also recommended the suspension of Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Y Chakrapani in connection with the issue, they said.

A female tigress and her four cubs were found dead in the Hugyam range of the MM Hills on June 26.

Khandre also recommended departmental inquiries into their conduct.

Following the incident, authorities arrested three individuals, including the cow's owner, who allegedly poisoned the cow's carcass, suspected of causing the tigers' deaths.

Khandre's decision came after reviewing the preliminary report submitted by a high-level inquiry committee headed by Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF) Kumar Pushkar, which was set up to probe the incident.

The minister has directed the committee to submit its final report by July 10.

"Based on clear evidence of negligence and dereliction of duty by officials in the unnatural deaths of the tigers, the Minister has recommended the suspension of DCF Y Chakrapani to the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms," Khandre's office said in a statement on Friday.

Assistant Conservator of Forests Gajanana Hegde and Range Forest Officer Madesh of the respective range have been suspended as they failed to monitor the patrol staff effectively and were grossly negligent in performing their fundamental duties of forest protection, it said.

On June 30, these three officers were sent on compulsory leave until further notice.

It was also alleged that for the past three months, frontline contract staff had not been paid their wages or allowances, which hampered patrolling activities.

According to Khandre's office, although funds to pay wages were released by the end of April, payments were delayed until June.

"This failure to ensure timely payment, especially by DCF Chakrapani, is seen as a serious dereliction of duty, which disrupted patrolling activities. The Minister has recommended his suspension and a departmental inquiry," the statement added.

On June 23, contract staff staged a protest, claiming they had not received wages for three months since March.

The preliminary report indicated that demotivated staff neglected their duties, which contributed to the incident.

Citing the report, the Minister's office stated that the deaths of the approximately 11-year-old tigress and her four cubs, aged around 10 to 11 months, were primarily due to chemicals allegedly sprayed on a carcass, believed to be "an act of revenge" after a tiger killed livestock.