SC Rejects Plea for Destroying Trophies of Controversial Hunter Nawab Shafat Ali Khan

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a petition that sought destruction of all the trophies lying in the house of controversial hunter and shooter from Hyderabad, Nawab Shafath Ali Khan.

A bench, headed by Justice DY Chandrachud, rejected the plea moved by wildlife NGO Red Lynx Confederation, and took a grim view of it seeking a direction against an individual in a public interest litigation (PIL).

In an application for interim relief, the petition had asked for directions to the secretary, Government of India, to destroy all the trophies that are lying in the residences of Khan and other offenders and submit compliance reports in the court.

The plea did not go down well with the bench as it pointed out that in a PIL, specific individuals cannot be targeted nor can directions be issued against them.

“During the course of the hearing, we had specifically drawn the attention of Ms Sangeeta Dogra, who appears in person, to the interim relief which is sought against a specific individual. The Court queried as to whether this is a petition, which has been filed in the public interest or to seek relief in respect of a particular individual,” recorded the court in its order.

The bench reminded Dogra, a wildlife activist, that “a petitioner who moves the court purportedly in public interest is not exempt from observing the essential principles of pleading” and dismissed her petition.

Khan, a hunter and nawab of an erstwhile aristocratic family from Hyderabad, has been roped in by the forest department of several states for operations where tranquillising or putting down a wild animal are involved. He has been part of about 40 such operations on rogue elephants, tigers, bears and leopards, for at least six state governments.

In 2018, his son Asghar Ali killed man-eating tigress Avni, who was believed to be responsible for the deaths of 13 people in the past two years in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal.

The father-son duo has, however, received flak from activists, who say that use of a tranquillising gun is in violation of various laws because the drugs and quantity of these psychotropic substances can only be signed off by a registered, qualified wildlife veterinarian.

Union Minister Minister Maneka Gandhi has also critcised the officials for calling them for such operations, describing them as “trigger-happy shooter” involved in patently illegal acts.

Meanwhile, Khan has always maintained that he is perfectly comfortable posing with the trophies of the animals he kills.