The Supreme Court Tuesday took serious view of a report which said that the West Bengal government had decided to take "regressive" steps to reduce the elephant population by using contraceptives so that train accidents involving them are avoided.
Taking note, the apex court bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice J. Chelameshwar said: "If it is so, then it is absolutely impermissible and also condemnable."
Having condemned the move, the court said: "We restrain the West Bengal government not to administer sterlisation by which natural procreation process of the elephants or wildlife is curtailed."
The court passed the order taking note of a statement made by Advocate T.K. Singh who appeared for Jharkhand in the course of the hearing of a PIL seeking directions to regulate the movement of the trains to prevent deaths of elephants on account of collision with the fast moving trains.
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