Top Tripura forest officer suspended over controversial naming of big cats
Justice Saugata Bhattacharya of the Calcutta HC’s Jalpaiguri circuit bench ordered the cancellation of the names to avoid further controversy
Tripura principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife and ecotourism) Prabin Lal Agrawal has been allegedly suspended after sparking a controversy over naming a zoo lion and lioness Akbar and Sita, respectively.
No official confirmation has been received on the issue so far.
The suspension came following a complaint filed by Viswa Hindu Parishad (VHP) before the Calcutta high court over the naming of the animals that were brought to the North Bengal Wild Animals Park in North Bengal’s Siliguri from Tripura’s Sepahijala Zoological Park on February 12 as part of an exchange programme.
In the writ petition, the VHP stated that naming an animal after a religious deity violated religious sentiments of the Hindus.
The North Bengal zoological park authorities denied the naming of these animals.
Justice Saugata Bhattacharya of the Calcutta HC’s Jalpaiguri circuit bench ordered the cancellation of the names to avoid further controversy.
Prabin Lal Agrawal is a 1994-batch IFS officer.
