SANGEETA DOGRA Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This Public Interest Litigation has been preferred with the following prayers: The proceedings in the matter have been conducted through video conferencing.

(2.) We have heard the petitioner in person and learned counsel for the respondents. It appears that several grievances have been ventilated about the activities of private shooters, engaged by the State authorities for shooting the wild animals, who have allegedly turned maneaters. The list of such private shooters is given at Annexure A-7 to the memo of this writ petition.

(3.) It is further submitted by the petitioner in person that repeatedly the same set of individuals are being engaged to shoot animals and some of them have a history of being arrested in the past. The petitioner in person submitted that one such person, namely, Mr. Nawab Shafath Ali Khan, stated to be the Secretary of respondent No. 9, was arrested between 1991 to 2005 several times.