📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Appaloosa
Crime
Chhattisgarh forest minister calls for CBI probe into tiger killings at Indravati reserve
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 20 Aug 2026, 02:41 AM
👁 1
The state forest minister has urged the Central Bureau of Investigation to look into a string of tiger deaths in Indravati Tiger Reserve, citing a suspected poaching network.
Chhattisgarh's forest minister, Shri Ramvichar Netam, formally requested the Central Bureau of Investigation to take over the inquiry into recent tiger fatalities reported from the Indravati Tiger Reserve. The minister said the pattern of deaths points to organized poaching rather than isolated incidents.
According to forest officials, several tigers have been found dead under suspicious circumstances over the past few weeks. Preliminary forensic reports suggest the involvement of illegal wildlife trade routes that may be operating across state borders.
The minister emphasized that a CBI investigation would bring specialized expertise and ensure that any criminal network is dismantled swiftly. He also warned that continued poaching could jeopardise the reserve's conservation goals and the broader effort to increase tiger numbers nationwide.
While the CBI has not yet commented on the request, the forest department has pledged full cooperation, providing all available evidence and field data. Conservation NGOs have welcomed the move, calling it a necessary step to protect the apex predator and restore public confidence in wildlife protection measures.
According to forest officials, several tigers have been found dead under suspicious circumstances over the past few weeks. Preliminary forensic reports suggest the involvement of illegal wildlife trade routes that may be operating across state borders.
The minister emphasized that a CBI investigation would bring specialized expertise and ensure that any criminal network is dismantled swiftly. He also warned that continued poaching could jeopardise the reserve's conservation goals and the broader effort to increase tiger numbers nationwide.
While the CBI has not yet commented on the request, the forest department has pledged full cooperation, providing all available evidence and field data. Conservation NGOs have welcomed the move, calling it a necessary step to protect the apex predator and restore public confidence in wildlife protection measures.