54 Tiger Deaths In 2025: Madhya Pradesh High Court Issues Notice On PIL Seeking Directions To Prevent Poaching

The Madhya Pradesh High Court, on Tuesday (January 20), issued notice to the Union Government, the State and the National Tiger Conservation Authority in a PIL raising concerns over alarming rise in tiger deaths and incidents of poaching in the State.

The division bench of Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf observed, 

"Issue notice. Notice accepted by learned counsel appearing for respondent no 1 and 3". 

The PIL is filed by Ajay Dubey, the Secretary and Founder member of environmental action group 'Prayatna' and contends that out of the 785 tigers, as many as 54 have died in 2025 alone.

The petition relies on an NDTV report of December 16, which stated that several tigers were dying under 'mysterious and often suspicious circumstances, raising serious questions about protection, enforcement, and accountability'. 

The petition further referred to the official data of the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, showing that nearly 57% of the tigers' deaths were due to unnatural causes, including poaching, electrocution, or unexplained circumstances.

Despite repeated assurances from authorities, the petition alleged that there was the presence of poachers inside the protected forest areas, which continued to pose a grave threat. 

The petition stated that while forest officers often attribute tiger deaths to territorial fights, wildlife experts strongly dispute this claim. 

The petition further stated that per the experts, the crisis was not only limited to tigers and that leopard deaths were also rising. It was alleged that the poachers are operating within the reserves using electrical wires, indicating serious failures in the forest department's surveillance and intelligence measures. 

The petition cited a specific incident in which an adult male tiger was run over by a speeding train on the Budni-Midghat railway line. The stretch has reportedly earned the reputation of a 'death track' due to frequent fatalities. The said railway line passes through the core area of the Ratapani Tiger Reserve.

The petition alleged that the responsibility is being shifted between the Railway Department and the Forest Department, while crucial expert recommendations, including the construction of underpasses and overpasses, have not been implemented. Non-compliance with these recommendations had allegedly led to repeated accidents involving wildlife. 

The petition also referred to a letter of December 12, 2025 ssued by the Principal Chief Conservator wherein the authorities acknowledged that tiger deaths and deaths of other animals were caused by electrocution, road accidents, and rail accidents. The letter reportedly admitted that negligence on the part of concerned authorities and field officers had contributed to the continuing deaths of tigers. 

The petitioner sought direction to the respondent authorities to: 

- take immediate and effective steps to prevent poaching 

- implement expert recommendations and coordination among all concerned authorities.

- take comprehensive measures for tiger conservation

- construction of overpasses and underpasses along with the Budni-Midghat railway line

This matter was connected with another PIL filed by a retired Ranger of the Forest Department alleging that the Forest Officials committed irregularities. The retired Ranger Ramlal was present in court and was directed to submit suggestions on conservation measures that could be adopted. 

The case was listed for further hearing on March 11.

Case Title: Ajay Dubey v Union of India [WP 12 of 2026]

For Petitioner: Senior Advocate Aditya Sanghi with Advocate Alka Singh