The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday directed the Secretary of the Forest Department to take corrective steps after examining the lapses in the procedure followed by officials of the department in Hassan in registering criminal case in connection with instance of 38 monkeys being found dead near Belur last month.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice N.S. Sanjay Gowda issued the directions while hearing a PIL petition suo motu initiated by the court on the issue death of monkeys.
The Bench, after going through the procedure followed by the officials, and hearing the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Hassan, has observed that forest officials had dealt with the issue in a “most casual manner” as they had not followed the procedure prescribed in the law in registration of the case under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act.
The Secretary of the department has been directed to file an affidavit by August 25 on the measures that he would be initiating to ensure that proper procedure is adhered to by the department.
During earlier hearing, the court was informed that monkeys were caught by private persons hired by people of Ugane and Kyathanahalli villages to overcome the repeated monkey menace for their crops.
