The Orissa High Court has expressed its strong displeasure over tardy progress of criminal cases filed concerning to elephant poaching cases stating that trial has not commenced in 13 out 14 cases.
In response to a public interest litigation in Orissa HC, Odisha’s Chief Wildlife Warden Sashi Paul had admitted in the affidavit that 14 elephants had been poached by smugglers in past five years.
“While better details of the fourteen cases involving illegal poaching of elephants in the last five years have been furnished, it is plain that the mere registration of these cases has not yielded the desired result of deterring the offenders from pursuing with their crimes. The progress of the cases is also not satisfactory,” said Orissa HC Division Bench comprising Chief Justice S. Muralidhar and Justice R.K. Pattanaik.
