Apex court discharges contempt petition on Lion translocation

AHMEDABAD: The supreme court acting on a contempt petition filed by the Madhya Pradesh based wildlife activists Ajay Dubey discharged the petition after the Union minister of Forest and Environment assured the court that the 12-member committee, formed as per apex court judgement of April 2013, will meet later this months and the minutes will be placed before the court.
The Court in respect to the Rajkot based NGO, Wildlife Conservation Trust which has moved the apex court challenging the translocation of Lion to Kuno Palpur from Gir has also asked the ministry of environment forest and climate Change and even the Gujarat government to file their reply.

Tushar Gokani, advocate for the WCT said, "We had during the hearing in the apex court sought permission and the court had permitted the trust to file an impleadment application in the contempt petition which is going on in the apex court." The apex court on Thursday while hearing the matter asked the Union ministry and Gujarat forest department to file the reply.

Gokani said the Union ministry has placed on record that the committee has met six to seven times and they are meeting by March 13. Gokani further said that during the hearing, one of the Judge remarked “We have to be very careful in translocating the lions. All the aspects have to be thoroughly examined.”

Meanwhile Varun Chopra who appeared on behalf of Ajay Dubey said “The court after taking the statement of union ministry on record discharged the contempt petition but asked the petitioner to be present in the court during the future hearing.”