Machinery procured for establishing wildlife forensic laboratory, TN Forest Depy informs HC

Supriya Sahu, additional Chief Secretary to the environment, climate change and forest department, Tamil Nadu and Shekhar Kumar Niraj, principal chief conservator of forest and chief wildlife warden made this submission by appearing before a division bench of Justice V Bharathidasan and Justice N Sathish Kumar.

The bench was hearing a plea moved by K Pushpavanam who sought direction from the court to the government to establish the wildlife forensic laboratory.

"There is no established forensic laboratory for research and conduct of DNA sequencing of wild animals and now the state government is outsourcing DNA sequencing and other tests to other states," the petitioner submitted.

The top officers who appeared before the judges through video conference mode had said that the government procured the required machinery for the laboratory and now the state has to appoint suitable scientific personnel to do all the testing.

"Due to the pandemic, the department was not in a position to appoint scientific personnel and now the steps are being taken to make appointments," the forest department submitted.

On recording the submissions, the judges held that the secretary to the government assured this court that within a short period suitable personnel will be recruited and the laboratory will become fully operational.

Earlier the state had filed a counter-affidavit informing the court that the government has established an Advanced Institute for Wildlife Conservation at Vandalur, Chennai in 20lf and the institute was formally inaugurated in the year 2017 and the institute has started its operations in the year 2019.

Further, it is stated that the Lab is in the initial phase of setting up and handling DNA samples up to the level of sequencing and the sequencing part is being outsourced as they don't have the requisite equipment.

On January 21, 2022, the bench summoned the additional CS and principal secretary of the concerned department to explain the reason as to why the lab is not fully equipped and non-appointment of scientific officers to the lab and the steps taken by the government to notify the lab under Section 293 of Cr.P.C., which will help the prosecuting authorities to conduct investigation and trial of wildlife offences.

The matter has been posted on March 4,  2022.