Chamarajanagar: Leopard carcass found near Karikallu quarry, poisoning suspected
Chamarajanagar: Even before the district could recover from the shocking incident of five tigers allegedly poisoned in the Meenyam forest area of Malemahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary in Hanur taluk, another suspicious wildlife death has come to light, this time of a leopard.
The carcass of a 5 to 6-year-old male leopard was discovered on a rock near the Karikallu quarry in Kothalawadi, Chamarajanagar taluk. Officials believe the leopard may have died two to three days ago.
Adding to the suspicion, carcasses of a calf and a dog were also found nearby, raising suspicions of poisoning. Locals who came across the scene alerted the forest department.
According to sources a team of officials arrived and conducted an initial inspection.
The Bandipur dog squad was brought in for further examination. A post-mortem was carried out by veterinarians Dr. Wasim and Dr. Murthy, after which the leopard’s carcass was cremated. The forest department has registered a case and initiated an investigation.
Notably, in December 2023, two tigers were found dead under mysterious circumstances near the same Karikallu quarry.
Their decomposed remains were discovered several days later, and the exact cause of death was never determined. The latest incident involving the leopard has now reignited suspicions surrounding wildlife deaths in the area.
Top forest officials, including Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Hiralal, BRT Tiger Project Director Sripathy, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Manjunath, RFO Sandeep, DRFOs Amarnath and Suresh, and others visited the spot and conducted an on-ground investigation into the matter.
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Unnao rape case: SC sets aside order suspending Sengar's life term, asks HC to decide plea afresh
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Friday set aside a Delhi High Court order suspending the life sentence of former BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar in the 2017 Unnao rape case and asked it to decide the plea afresh.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi also asked the high court to make endeavours to decide the main plea of Sengar against his conviction and life imprisonment in the case within two months.
It further said that if it was not possible for the high court to decide the main plea expeditiously, then it should pass an order on a plea of Sengar seeking the suspension of the life term in the case before the start of the summer vacation there.
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The bench, which had earlier set aside the HC order granting bail to Sengar after a huge public uproar over the issue, said that it did not express any opinion on the merits of the case and the high court could proceed with it afresh.
The CJI also asked the HC to decide afresh issues like whether an MLA can be treated as a public servant for being prosecuted under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Earlier, the top court had deferred to the first week of May the hearing on a petition filed by the CBI challenging the suspension of life imprisonment of the former MLA in the rape case.
On December 29 last year, the top court stayed the Delhi High Court order suspending Sengar's life sentence and said he shall not be released from custody.
In its order dated December 23, 2025, the Delhi High Court had said that Sengar had been convicted under Section 5 (C) (aggravated penetrative sexual assault by a public servant) of the POCSO Act but an elected representative does not fit the definition of a "public servant" under Section 21 of the Indian Penal Code.
The high court had suspended the jail term of Sengar, who was serving life imprisonment in the Unnao rape case, till the pendency of his appeal, saying he had already served seven years and five months in prison.
The high court order has sparked criticism from various sections of society and protests were held by the victim, her family and activists.
