SC stays U'khand HC order for CBI probe into tiger deaths

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed an Uttarakhand High Court order directing a CBI probe into the death of tigers in the state, including at the Corbett Tiger Reserve, over the past five years and alleged involvement of forest officials in the poaching of animals.

A bench of justices R F Nariman and S A Nazeer also issued notice to the petitioner NGO on whose plea the order was passed by the high court on September 4.

"Issue notice. In the meanwhile, there shall be stay of operation of the impugned interim order of the high court," the bench said.

In its order, the high court had asked the CBI to hold a preliminary enquiry into all the cases of poaching in Uttarakhand in last five years and to find out the complicity of officials of the forest department.

The high court's order came after it was told that out of nine tiger deaths in the past, only six were natural.

The high court had also noted that in a period of two-and-a-half years, 40 tigers and 272 leopards had died in the state.

It had noted that an area measuring 318.80 hectares falling in Dhulwa and Dhumanda was not formally included in the Corbett Tiger Reserve.

It had directed the state to take all effective steps to include these areas in Corbett Tiger Reserve within a month.