Bhopal, Oct 28 (IANS) A Public Interest Litigation has been filed before the Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking a CBI probe into the suspected shooting and death of a 19-month-old cheetah cub from Kuno National Park, with the petitioner alleging lapses in monitoring and protection of the animal outside the protected area.
The petition was filed on Wednesday by Bhopal-based wildlife activist Ajay Dubey through advocate Vinita Ahuja and Aditya Sanghi for seeking a fair, impartial and time-bound investigation into the incident.
According to the petition, the male cub, born to female cheetah Nirva at Kuno, was found seriously injured on October 26-27 in the Morena Territorial Forest Division, outside the national park’s protected boundaries.
The petition notes that the State Tiger Strike Force (STF) has been deployed to investigate the incident but argues that the case raises wider concerns over the safety of cheetahs moving beyond the park and the effectiveness of existing monitoring mechanisms.
“This is not an isolated injury. If a radio-collared cheetah born in Kuno can be found with gunshot pellets in Morena forests and dies, it shows our tracking, field surveillance and anti-poaching response has collapsed outside the park. Only a CBI-led forensic probe can establish the truth,” Dubey said.
The petitioner has named the Union government, the Madhya Pradesh government, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change as respondents.
Referring to the cheetah reintroduction programme launched at Kuno in 2022, the plea questions the adequacy of protection measures, coordination between the national park administration and territorial forest divisions, and surveillance of animals entering adjoining forest areas.
It also cites a June 27, 2025, press release issued by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) regarding the busting of an interstate gang allegedly involved in the hunting of three tigers and the seizure of 225 claws, highlighting concerns over organised wildlife crime.
Invoking Articles 48A and 51A(g) of the Constitution and Sections 9 and 50 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, the petitioner has sought scientific examination of the pellets, veterinary findings and tracking data to establish the circumstances of the cub’s death and determine responsibility for any lapses.
“We are not prejudging guilt, but prevention is as important as investigation. The court must direct a comprehensive protection and monitoring plan for cheetahs ranging beyond Kuno, including emergency response and village-level awareness, so this does not recur,” Dubey said.
The PIL also seeks an independent review by senior wildlife experts not directly associated with Kuno’s management, a risk assessment of adjoining areas, and a status report on the investigation and corrective measures taken.
The petitioner has stated that no delay occurred in filing the plea and that no other court has dealt with the matter. The hearing date is awaited.
–IANS
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