Nagpur bench of HC orders suo motu PIL over spate of tiger deaths in Maharashtra

The Bombay High Court is investigating rising tiger deaths in Maharashtra, citing systemic failures in wildlife protection and escalating human-wildlife conflict.

NAGPUR: The Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court on Thursday took suo motu cognisance of an alarming rise in tiger deaths in Maharashtra and directed that a public interest litigation (PIL) be registered to examine systemic lapses in wildlife protection and investigations.

Nagpur bench of HC orders suo motu PIL over spate of tiger deaths in Maharashtra

The court acted after a news report highlighted the deaths of four tigers in Vidarbha between December 31, 2025 and January 11 this year. It was pointed out that as many as 11 tigers died in the first 22 days of 2025 alone, and that Maharashtra ranked second nationally in tiger fatalities after Madhya Pradesh last year.

The bench observed that several deaths were reported under disturbing circumstances, including electrocution due to illegally erected live electric fencing and suspected road accidents. Noting that the pattern pointed to a worsening human–wildlife conflict, the judges expressed concern over gaps in enforcement, investigation and accountability.

A division bench comprising justices Anil Kilor and Raj D Wakode appointed advocate Chaitanya Dhruv as amicus curiae to draft and argue the suo motu PIL.

According to the report cited by the court, on December 31, 2025, a tigress was found dead in Selu-Murpad village near the Bor Tiger Reserve in Wardha district. The animal is believed to have been electrocuted after coming into contact with an illegal live fence erected around a farm, following which the carcass was allegedly dumped in a water body under a bridge. More than 13 days later, no arrests had been made in the case.

On January 7, two tiger cubs aged eight to nine months were found dead in the Deolapar area under the Pench Tiger Reserve. While forest officials initially attributed the deaths to a territorial fight, the report cited the possibility that the cubs may have been killed after being hit by a vehicle.

On January 11, a two-year-old tigress was found dead in the Irai river near Chincholi village in Chandrapur district, close to the Tadoba–Andhari Tiger Reserve. The death is suspected to have resulted from electrocution caused by an illegal fence, followed by the dumping of the carcass in an attempt to destroy evidence.

The bench also raised questions over the role of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which has an office in Nagpur, and sought clarity on whether information about such incidents was being shared promptly and whether investigations were being pursued with the necessary seriousness.

The suo motu PIL will examine alleged failures in protecting wildlife, the handling and investigation of tiger deaths, and the broader issue of escalating human–tiger conflict in Maharashtra. The matter has been posted for further hearing on March 18.

The court’s intervention comes amid growing concern over unnatural big cat deaths in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh as well. The Madhya Pradesh forest department had recently constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe a spate of unnatural tiger and leopard deaths following a PIL in the Madhya Pradesh High Court. That petition revealed that 54 tigers died in Madhya Pradesh in 2025, the highest number recorded since the launch of Project Tiger in 1973.

According to the latest tiger census, Maharashtra has a tiger population of 444, ranking fourth in the country after Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttarakhand. The state has recorded a sharp rise in tiger numbers, from 101 in 2000, though the increase has also been accompanied by rising incidents of human–tiger conflict. Maharashtra has seven tiger reserves, including Tadoba, Melghat and Pench (Maharashtra region).