HC dismisses PIL against order to shoot Wayanad's man-eating tiger, fines petitioner Rs 25,000

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed against the chief wildlife warden's order to shoot and kill the man-eating tiger that killed and partially ate a dairy farmer at Sulthan Bathery recently.

The court dismissed the PIL by imposing a cost of Rs 25,000. Chief Justice Ashish K Desai and Justice V G Arun dismissed the petition filed by the Animal and Nature Ethics Community, alleging that the Chief Wildlife Warden's order issued on December 10 did not follow the procedures.

The principal chief conservator of forests and chief wildlife warden D Jayaprakash had issued the order to kill the animal in case it could not be tranquilised and captured.

"If the animal cannot be captured or tranquilised, and it is established as a man-eater, the same animal shall be killed...as the tiger has become dangerous to the human life in the area," the order said.

In July, the Supreme Court dismissed a petition filed by an animal rights body, Walking Eye Foundation for Animal Advocacy, seeking status on the welfare of the tusker Arikomban saying it was not the remit of the apex court.