According to the Gujarat High Court, the Indian Railways and the state forest department failed to conduct a proper investigation into the deaths of three lions that were run over by trains in January this year, and they will be investigated at a high level.
Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice Aniruddha Mayee were hearing a suo motu PIL regarding the deaths of Asiatic lions and the recent deaths of three lions killed by trains.
The court had, in its earlier order, ordered the chief conservator of forests, wildlife division, Junagadh, and the divisional railway manager (DRM), Bhavnagar division, Western Railway, to file affidavits outlining the investigation conducted into the incident to ascertain the cause of death on the track and corrective measures taken.
When the Railways’ lawyer failed to provide a satisfactory response, the bench sought to know if an inquiry had been initiated and who had issued the order to initiate it.
“We are engaging in a high-level investigation into the workings of Railways and the forest department. Don’t tell us you were vigilant and did anything prior to March 26, 2024 (when the court took suo motu cognizance of the case).
The chief justice told the Indian Railways advocate that whatever you and the forest department did was sketchy.
In this case, Justice Agarwal directed the secretary of railways and the secretary of forest and environment, Gujarat, to form a high-level committee to investigate the causes of three accidents that occurred between January 9 and January 21, and assign responsibility to the officers involved.
Three lion deaths had occurred, but no one had been notified, according to the court.
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