New Delhi: Human life matters, said the Supreme Court on Friday as it refused to interfere with the shoot at sight order for a man-eating tigress in Maharashtra. Her two cubs are to be captured.
"Why has the shooting order been passed by the High Court? Is it because she has been declared a man-eater? Human life matters," said Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra as the matter was mentioned for urgent hearing.
Advocate Astha Sharma had pressed for an urgent hearing against the order passed by the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court a day ago.
She pointed out that the tigress has two cubs as well and that the top court should stay the shooting order immediately.
But advocate Nishant Katneshwarkar, appearing for the Maharashtra government, intervened to state that the problem tigress, T1, has been the cause of at least a dozen deaths of villagers, most of the graziers from Ralegaon tehsil under Pandharkawda forest division.
At this, the CJI said that he was not in favour of allowing an urgent hearing of the appeal from the High Court or to stay the order in the meantime.
Shooting order for tigress T1 of Pandharkawda was issued on September 4 while her two eight-month-old cubs have been ordered to be captured.
At least two human lives were lost last month under Pandharkawda forest division in Maharashtra and these killings were attributed to the problem tigress after an inquiry.
The High Court had on Thursday disposed of civil application filed by wildlife lover Dr Jerryl Banait seeking stay against orders to shoot tigress T1.
Noting that human lives could not be put at stake, the High Court had upheld the contention of the forest department that SoP was just a guideline and mostly it has been followed as it looks from the evidence submitted.
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