Jhurjhura tigress in Bandhavgarh is dead

[Sabyasachi Patra]

It is been nearly a year since the tragic death of the Jhurjhura Tigress in Bandhavgarh and still guilty has not been brought to justice.

Today I received the following mail written to the President of India, and other concerned authorities asking for justice. I request everyone to write to the authorities and force them to take action. I am producing the text of the mail as is which is been sent by Richa Nara. We need more people to write such emails and letters.
Sabyasachi

Mail from Richa Nara:

From: Richa Nara <richieritz@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, May 2, 2011 at 12:51 PM
Subject: regarding the tragic slaying of the Jhurjhura Tigress ---one year passed and still no conviction
To: presidentofindia@rb.nic.in, cm@mp.nic.in, cm@valbh.mp.nic.in, mosef@nic.in, dirpt-r@nic.in, envisect@nic.in, manmohan@sansad.nic.in, pmosb@pmo.nic.in, info@cecindia.org
Cc: michael.vickers@homecall.co.uk, sabyasachi.patra@indiawilds.com


The President of India-copies to The Prime Minister, Prime Minister Sh Manmohan Singh, MoEF Jairam Ramesh, Chief Minister of M.P and Member Secretary, Central Empowered Committee

Smt. Pratibha Devising Patil, Her Excellency The President of India, Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi-110-004, INDIA

Madam President

You are probaly aware that an year ago on 18 May 2010 at Bandhavgarh National Park a tigress known locally as Jhurjhura-the mother of three six month old cubs was mortally wounded by a vehicle driven into her and died the following morning from her wounds. Almost twelve months have elapsed since this tragedy ocurred and since then the killing of the tigress has been compounded by the death of one of her cubs.

Shortly after the tigress was killed the Member Secretary of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) visited Bandhavgarh to investigate and report on the incident to the Minister of Environment and Forests. This report contained certain recommendations including calling for an urgent CBI enquiry into the tragedy. However the State Government of Madhya Pradesh opted for an investigation by the CID and later the Special Task Force (STF) of the State police.

A number of prominent persons including a Forest Officer were in the vehicles that allegedly slammed into the tigress at night. For this reason I am very concerned that the present STF enquiry will be prolonged and the matter eventually dropped without a criminal charge being brought against the perpetrators of this heinous crime that has been carried out to one of India's National Animals. Below you will see an extract from the report prepared by the Member Secretary of the NTCA where he names the occupants of the two vehicles that stayed in the tiger reserve beyond the permitted park timings:-

“10. It is reliably learnt from various people that the above 2 vehicles indicated
at serial no. 9 stayed beyond the permitted park timings and visited the in-situ enclosure at Baheraha (Magdhi Range) for viewing the tiger cubs housed in the same (which is not permitted). Further, the vehicles also went to the tigress spot at Tala and returned back via Bhadrashila barrier instead of the main gate, which is also a cause of suspicion.

There is a strong indication (emerging out of the detailed interaction with the local people and the Field Director) that the tigress was fatally hit by one of these vehicles. The occupants in both these vehicles included the following persons:

a) Shri Akshay Kumar Singh,CEO Zila Panchayat,Umaria
b) Lalit Kumar Pandey, Range Officer, Magdhi
c) Dr.K.K.Pandey,Veterinary Assistant Surgeon,Tala
d) A relative of Shri Akshay Kumar Singh and 3 children
e) Shri Man Singh,Driver of Range Officer,Magdhi
f) A driver of the vehicle used by the CEO, Umaria.

(It is also learnt that Dr. KK Pandey owns a lodge named ‘Tiger Heaven’ and wields considerable influence in the area. He was also present in the PM subsequently, and has provided his vehicle to the CEO, Umaria office on a contractual basis/ arrangement. He volunteered for bringing the post mortem report from Jabalpur, while using the same vehicle provided to the CEO, Zila Panchayat, Umaria.)”
In the circumstances I would politely but urgently request you as Head of State to make enquiries and investigate why this matter is taking so long to reach a conclusion and the guilty persons have not as yet been apprehended and appeared before a court of law.

I look forward to receiving your reply.

Yours respectfully and sincerely
Richa Nara