THE TRIBUNE IMPACT: Accused held in tiger death case after 2 yrs
The tiger death case at Karnataka’s Kali Tiger Reserve, previously closed and dismissed as a territorial fight between tigers, was reopened following the arrest of two individuals after an RTI was filed by The Tribune.
On December 18, 2022, a beheaded tiger carcass was found near the reserve. In September this year, The Tribune sought an action-taken report from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). The NTCA had initially responded that the tiger had died in a fight with another tiger.
However, a Karnataka Forest Department official revealed, “After the RTI was filed, two people — Somnath Patil and Indrajit Gasari — were arrested from a resort in Belagavi. They were earlier spotted near the crime scene two years ago and were captured on CCTV. We suspect their involvement in the mutilation of the tiger’s limbs and claws. The investigation is ongoing.”
Due to the mutilation of the carcass, it was suspected that the tiger had been poached. With its head and limbs removed, the tiger’s age could not be determined. “Some miscreants may have found the dead tiger and taken its head and claws. A team was constituted to track those responsible, but no clues indicative of poaching were found at the time. We are now awaiting further developments in the investigation,” the official added.
