Supreme Court says tigress Avni was killed as per its order, refuses to entertain plea

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to consider a plea for initiation of contempt proceedings against Maharashtra Chief Secretary Vikas Kharge and others for announcing a reward for the killers of tigress Avni.

The tigress was hunted for allegedly killing and devouring 13 humans in the Pandharkawada-Ralegaon forests of Yavatmal district in Maharashtra in 2018.

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde said, "We understand it is a serious issue but we cannot interfere." The court noted that the state government had already submitted its report in the matter.

"We cannot review the decision. Celebration after death was done by villagers and state officials. Villagers were happy and hence, they celebrated. Officers have stated under oath that they did not celebrate," the bench said.

The court asked wildlife researcher Sangeet Dongra to withdraw her contempt petition.

The petitioner claimed that human remains were not found in the autopsy of the animal. She questioned the announcement of rewards for killers of the tigress in contravention of the Supreme Court's previous directions.

Avni, the tigress, was said to have killed 13 villagers. She was shot dead near Borati village in Yavatmal in November 2018 by a team of Forest Department officials and civilian hunter Asgar Ali.

The incident triggered outrage among wildlife activists, who alleged that no efforts were made to tranquillise Avni and called it a "murder in cold blood". The top court had in 2018 allowed the killing of Avni if attempts to tranquilise her failed.