Bengaluru: In the wake of public outrage and internal inquiry over the poisoning deaths of five tigers at the MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, the Karnataka government on Monday suspended Y Chakrapani, Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) and a 2012-batch Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, citing gross negligence and dereliction of duty.
This is Chakrapani’s second suspension within 13 months. He was previously suspended in June 2023 in connection with a teakwood scam in Virajpet, Kodagu.
Unpaid Salaries and Lapses in Oversight
The latest suspension follows preliminary findings from a high-level committee investigating the tiger deaths. The report, along with testimonies from frontline sanctuary staff, pointed to administrative lapses and failure to ensure basic operational protocols, including delays in paying salaries to forest watchers.
Despite the state government releasing funds at the end of April 2025, salaries for outsourced staff at MM Hills remained unpaid since March, the report noted. This failure, the committee said, demoralized ground staff, weakened patrols, and contributed to security lapses that may have enabled the poisoning incident.
Background: Five Tigers Poisoned
The MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, a vital tiger habitat in southern Karnataka, witnessed a major conservation setback when five tigers were found dead from poisoning earlier this month. The tragedy sparked sharp criticism from wildlife activists and political opposition, prompting swift administrative action.
Two forest officials were suspended last week for their alleged roles or negligence in the incident. Chakrapani, being the supervising officer, is the highest-ranking official to face suspension in connection with the case so far.
Second Strike for the Officer
Chakrapani was previously under scrutiny in June 2023 for alleged irregularities in teakwood procurement and felling operations in Virajpet, Kodagu. That suspension had also drawn attention due to the sensitive nature of forest governance in the Western Ghats.
His repeated involvement in controversies raises questions about the screening and oversight mechanisms in forest postings, particularly in ecologically sensitive and high-conflict zones.
Next Steps
The government has indicated that the final report of the high-level committee will determine whether further departmental or legal action is warranted. Meanwhile, a temporary replacement is expected to be announced for the MM Hills DCF post, which remains crucial to stabilizing the sanctuary’s operations and morale.
