Tiger hunt: CJ tells Forest Dept. not to go for the kill immediately
The Hindu
‘The tiger code-named MDT 23 may not be a man-eater’
“Don't go for the kill immediately. It may not be a man-eater,” said Madras High Court Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee, reacting to a case filed against the Forest Department’s decision to hunt a 12-year-old tiger, code-named MDT 23, which is suspected to be on a killing spree involving humans and livestock in the Nilgiris district.
Presiding over the First Division Bench along with Justice P.D. Audikesavalu, the Chief Justice said the tiger might have been misunderstood as a habitual man-eater because of a few lethal chance encounters with humans in the forest. He insisted on making efforts to capture it alive.
Passing interim orders on a public interest litigation petition filed by People for Cattle in India, the Bench directed the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) to ensure that the least possible number of people entered the forest to capture MDT 23, without disturbing the natural habitat.