Activist Seeks to Revive CBI Probe into Alleged Corbett Tiger Poaching Syndicate

In a recent development, activist Atul Sati from Uttarakhand has filed an application seeking to vacate the Supreme Court's stay on a CBI probe into alleged tiger poaching at Corbett National Park. Sati alleges that crucial facts, including findings from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), were concealed from the Supreme Court when it stayed the high court's CBI probe order in October 2018.

The high court had originally ordered the CBI investigation based on "damning facts" about an international poaching syndicate that was allegedly behind the crimes. Sati claims the recovery of tiger skins from Nepal, which the WII confirmed were from Corbett tigers, indicated the involvement of a transnational criminal network that required expert examination by the CBI.

However, the then Uttarakhand chief wildlife warden, DS Khati, had argued that the high court ordered the CBI probe based solely on newspaper reports without hearing the state or its officials. Sati's application now challenges this claim, stating that Khati filed an affidavit in the high court, negating the argument that the state was not given a chance to respond.

Sati believes the prolonged stay has effectively stymied the chances of detecting and dismantling the alleged poaching syndicate, which may still be active. He has urged the Supreme Court to vacate the stay order and allow the CBI investigation to proceed.