HC seeks Centre's reply on plea to preserve records of Delhi zoo

The Delhi High Court Tuesday sought response of the Centre on a plea seeking direction to preserve the records relating to activities and inventory of the National Zoological Park in the city.

The plea has alleged "rampant irregularities and illegalities" in the zoo, like suppression of deaths of protected species, procurement, consumption and stock of drugs meant for animals.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V K Rao issued notice to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and the National Zoological Park on the application which sought preservation and protection of all records under the personal custody of the director of the zoo.

The court also said that the director of the zoo will be responsible for maintaining the records.

The application was filed in a pending petition by animals rights activist, Gauri Maulekhi, alleging rampant irregularities and illegalities, like suppression of deaths of protected species in the administration of the National Zoological Park in the city as well as the veterinary care being provided to the animals lodged there.

In the application, she claimed that she has received through a whistle-blower a copy of the the letter sent by the director of the zoo to the inspector general of forests (Wildlife), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) which mentioned serious concerns of tampering with documentation, destruction of official documents after receiving notice in this case.

It said destruction of official records, particularly those relevant to a case before the high court, has serious ramifications as it could prevent the court from effectively deciding the case by not having access to all the materials relevant to the case.

"The destruction of records relevant to a matter pending in this court would also amount to interference in the proceedings and processes of the court and, therefore, in the administration of justice. Such brazen acts may even amount to contempt of court," the application said.

The court had on May 25, sought a response of the Centre on the petition which has referred to the CZA's findings indicating death of a large number of animals from protected species, including langur and hog deer, at the Delhi zoo and alleged that there was a total breakdown in the administration at the National Zoological Park, which was set up in 1959.

According to the petition, the CZA had also found that there was "suppression of the deaths through the submission of inaccurate inventory reports and fabricated post mortem reports".

The other instances of alleged irregularities included capture of animals like monitor lizards and small Indian civets from the wild and "illegally placing them in the zoo to cover up the large number of deaths", the plea, filed through advocate Mihir Samson, said.

The authority had also found negligence in the medical care provided to the animals at the zoo, apart from "widespread use of expired medication as well as illegal procurement and missing stock of schedule X drug Ketamine, a notified psychotropic substance", the petition said.

The plea has sought a direction to the ministry to establish an independent expert committee for oversight of the zoo as well as initiation of disciplinary and criminal action against all the erring staff working there.

The petition has sought that the CZA's reports and findings be adopted and implemented.