PIL in Rajasthan HC on 'rising' peacock poaching incidents

Jodhpur: The Rajasthan High Court today summoned the Chief Wildlife Warden of the state with an affidavit stating the steps taken to curb growing incidents of peacock poaching and prosecute poachers.

A division bench, headed by acting chief justice Ajit Singh, gave the directions while allowing a PIL moved by an environmentalist Babulal Jaju pointing to the indiscriminate poaching of peacocks in the state.

His counsel Lokendra Singh Kachhawa told the court that instead of filing a complaint under section 55 of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, only challans are being filed, as a result of which, poachers easily get discharged from the court.

Citing the observation of the Animal Welfare Board of India that the peacock population has been declining consistently due to poaching, he said repeated information to the state government has not evoked any response towards taking a significant step to deal with poaching of peacocks.

Hearing these arguments, the court directed for the personal appearance of the Chief Wildlife Warden of the state with an affidavit on the steps taken in this direction on the next hearing on December 14.