Supreme Court Mandates Probe into Missing Tiger Reserve Case Records

The Supreme Court has initiated an inquiry into the disappearance of records from a case concerning a proposed tiger reserve in Goa. On Thursday, the bench, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, flagged that records, including an order from September 8, 2025, were missing, suggesting potential foul play.

The court instructed its secretary general to conduct a fact-finding mission into the missing proceedings, which appeared as a deliberate attempt to obstruct justice. This comes amid a legal battle challenging a Goa bench of the Bombay High Court's July 2023 decision to declare the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary a designated tiger reserve.

With the Central Empowered Committee having submitted its findings, the apex court is allowing involved parties, including the NGO Goa Foundation, to submit their responses over the next two weeks. The high court's earlier verdict pushed for a comprehensive tiger conservation plan under the Wildlife Protection Act.