Udaipur, October 4, 2024 - The Supreme Court has denied interim relief to the petitioner challenging the order to kill the man-eater leopard in Gogunda.

Petitioner Ajay Dubey had filed a plea in the Supreme Court against the order issued on October 1, 2024, by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden, Rajasthan, to kill the leopard in Gogunda which had turned man-eater. While hearing the case, the Supreme Court allowed the petitioner to approach the High Court.

Additional Advocate General Shiv Mangal Sharma, representing the state government, argued that the order was issued in compliance with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines. He informed that the leopard had already claimed several lives after biting off parts of the body and then killing them. The situation in the area is tense, which makes the decision crucial. A specific village area in Udaipur had been identified for action.

The man-eater leopard has already claimed nine lives in Gogunda district, Udaipur. Despite frantic efforts by the Forest Department and the Army, the man-eater remains elusive and at large. Looking at the circumstances and seeing the fear and panic among the people of the affected villages, the order was issued to kill the leopard if all efforts to capture it failed. This was in keeping with Point No. 8 and Section 11 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and ensuring that all protocol was followed.