Courts Will Lean Toward Animals Who Are Silent Victims of Commercial Ventures: SC

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has observed that courts would always lean in favour of animals who suffer silently when their migration paths are blocked by humans and commercial ventures.

Stating this, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi deferred hearing on a batch of petitions filed by owners of hotels and resorts in the Nilgiris to January, saying the issue required detailed consideration.

The apex court said: "All of you are there for commercial purposes and in the elephant corridor. These constructions interfere with elephant movement… The benefit must go to these animals who are silent victims of these commercial developments."

Hotels and resorts in the wildlife areas were aggrieved that they had been asked to vacate the forest area after the Tamil Nadu government notified elephant corridors in the Sigur plateau in the Nilgiris.

On September 12, the Madras High Court approved the recommendation of the apex court appointed panel, which had declared that the land purchased by private parties on the elephant corridors in the Sigur plateau was illegal and that these constructions needed to be dismantled.

Earlier, the top court was informed that there were over 800 constructions, including 39 resorts and 390 houses, inside the Sigur elephant corridor. Senior advocates Salman Khurshid and Shoeb Alam, appearing for different parties, submitted that the owners of these hotels and resorts had purchased the properties much before the elephant corridors had been notified, and they should be allowed to continue with their "eco-friendly" business with a rider that they must not expand their business ventures.

Senior counsel Alam pointed out that some matters were coming up for hearing in January and it would be appropriate that the court hear all of them together. The top court then adjourned the matter for further hearing in the first week of January.