NTCA may close tiger death cases if states miss deadlines

Bhopal: The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) is moving toward the closure of dozens of long-unresolved tiger mortality cases if states fail to complete investigations within prescribed deadlines, even as newly disclosed data show that 88 tiger deaths recorded between 2020 and 2021 remain formally unresolved across India.Documents obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act reveal that critical investigations into these deaths have stalled, with essential forensic reports, post-mortems and technical analyses missing years after the animals were found dead. The material lays bare a pattern of delayed or incomplete probes in several major tiger states, raising concerns that the agency's upcoming move to close cases may effectively erase the paper trail of suspected poaching and systemic failures in protection.RTI activist Ajay Dubey, who secured the information, described the prospect of administratively closing cases without establishing cause of death as "data laundering." "If you refuse to account for these deaths, you cannot truly protect the species," he said, arguing that hurried closures would paper over both illegal trade and lapses in forest-guard response and oversight.The backlog is most pronounced in Madhya Pradesh, which accounts for the highest number of pending cases, including deaths reported from Bandhavgarh, Kanha and Panna national parks. In Chhattisgarh, multiple cases from Bastar, Bhanupratappur and Kawardha remain unresolved, some involving the recovery of tiger parts without any formal legal conclusion. Maharashtra faces similar issues in Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve and Chandrapur, where deaths have occurred beyond core protected areas yet still lack closure.In Assam, several tiger deaths in Kaziranga National Park registered since 2020 remain unexplained, while in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, cases from Nagarhole and Dudhwa have been marked as "seizures" but have seen no judicial or administrative follow-up. In Uttarakhand, deaths in the Dhela and Kalagarh ranges of Jim Corbett National Park have stayed on the books for years, despite claims of close monitoring.Experts point out that many of these cases lack basic evidentiary work — post-mortems, forensic analysis, histopathology, or even standardized photographic records—making it effectively impossible to distinguish natural deaths from poaching or human-induced accidents. With delays stretching into multiple years, authorities risk losing the viability of tissue and scene samples, undercutting the chances of prosecution and obscuring accountability for lapses in protection.The NTCA has directed states to submit outstanding reports within a fixed deadline, warning that cases will be closed in line with internal policy if the required documentation is not furnished. Conservationists have urged the authority to resist closing investigations without conclusive findings, warning that administrative expediency could erode transparency and dull the momentum to track, deter and punish tiger-related wildlife crime.