Tikaram Hanote
At last, a rare moment of accountability: the Madhya Pradesh High Court has denied bail to forest officer Tikaram Hanote, accused of helping destroy evidence by burning a tigress carcass in Balaghat. Too often, cases of official misconduct vanish in silence, but this time, the court recognized the gravity of the crime.
Hanote allegedly coordinated with co-accused to douse the carcass in diesel and torch it, hiding the tigress’s death instead of following NTCA protocols. Phone records show he was in constant touch with others during the cover-up. For once, excuses failed.
The tigress was found on July 27 near Potutola canal, but instead of forensic sampling and reports, the body was hidden for days, then set ablaze on July 30. That a forest officer—entrusted to protect tigers—stood accused of this betrayal is a scandal. Denying bail sends a signal: accountability is overdue.
The Tikaram Hanote article:
Based on Times of India, India.
Photo credit: Times of India.
