IN THE matter seeking relief before the High Court to immediately take steps in poaching of tigers in Madhya Pradesh, the division bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court comprising Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf on Tuesday, issued notices to the Secretary Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), New Delhi, Principal Secretary, Forest Department, Bhopal and National Tiger Conservation Authority (Formerly Project Tiger) through its Member Secretary, New Delhi, and asked them to file their reply before the High Court. The division bench has listed the matter for next hearing on February 11. The division bench has heard the public interest litigation filed by Ajay Dubey through Senior Advocate Aditya Sanghi. The petitioner mentioned in the PIL that the total tiger population in the world is 5,421, out of which India is having 3167 tigers and in the State of Madhya Pradesh is having 785 tigers as per the latest census.

 

But unfortunately, on in the year, 2025, 54 death of tigers in the State of Madhya Pradesh is reported and it is the highest tiger deaths since the Project Tiger is started in India. The instant petition is being filed as Pro Bono Publico to highlight the issue that in Madhya Pradesh in only one year i.e. from January, 2025 to 19” December, 2025, as many as 54 tiger death have been reported. The State has already lost 54 tigers in 2025. Since the launch of Project Tiger in 1973, the state has never recorded such a high number of tiger deaths in a single year. In just one week, six tigers have died across the state. Even in the most celebrated Tiger Reserve of Madhya Pradesh, where the density of population of Tiger is maximum in the world i.e. Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, official data reveals that nearly 57 per cent of these deaths are classified as “unnatural,” attributed to causes such as poaching, electrocution, or unexplained circumstances.

 

The petitioner prayed relief before the high court to direct the respondents to immediately take steps in poaching of tigers in Madhya Pradesh to control poaching. Mandamus commanding the respondents to immediately implement the recommendations of the experts and a co-ordination between all the authorities concerned. Mandamus commanding the respondents to take all the steps for conservation of tigers in the State of MP because the State of MP owes a duty to the citizens being the Tiger State. Mandamus commanding the respondents to develop with co-ordination with the Railway Department under-pass and over-pass between Midghat to Barkheda Section in Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary where fatal tiger death are reported and 14 leopards have also lost their life. Cost of the instant is to be recovered from the erring officers.