The Forest department on Monday sent the Deputy Conservator of Forests and two other officials on compulsory leave with immediate effect pending an inquiry into the case of 'unnatural death' of five tigers in the Male Mahadeshwara Hills, officials said.
A female tigress and her four cubs were found dead in the Hugyam range of the MM Hills on June 26. (PTI/representative)
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A female tigress and her four cubs were found dead in the Hugyam range of the MM Hills on June 26.
Following the incident, three people, including the owner of the dead cow sprayed upon with poison and consumed by the wild cats, were arrested.
In an official order, the forest department stated that Deputy Conservator of Forests Y Chakrapani, Assistant Conservator of Forests Gajanana Hedge and Deputy Range Forest Officer Madesh were placed on compulsory leave with immediate effect until further orders.
In addition, IFS officer Santosh Kumar G who was recently transferred from MM Hills to Bengaluru, has been given concurrent charge of the sensitive area.
"The fact that the carcasses of these five tigers were found just 100 meters away from the road but remained unnoticed by the department staff for two days indicates a serious lapse in forest and wildlife protection duties," it stated.
The order further stated that despite an anti-poaching camp being located just 800 meters from the site of the incident, there was a "failure" in wildlife protection. Media report states that for the past three months, frontline contract staff have not been paid their wages or allowances, which has hindered patrolling activities.
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"On preliminary review, the negligence appears to be on the part of the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Assistant Conservator of Forests, Deputy Range Forest Officer, and patrolling staff. Hence, an investigation needs to be conducted," it added.
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.
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