The Attorney General was yesterday directed to submit the reports on the investigation into the death of elephants in the Habarana area, by the Court of Appeal.
The Court of Appeal directed the Attorney General when a Writ Petition was filed seeking an inquiry into the deaths of the elephants and an order to arrest those responsible.The petition was taken up before a Bench of Court of Appeal Justices U.B. Karaliyadda and T.M. Lafar Tahir.
The petition was filed by the Center for Environmental Justice and its Executive Director Hemantha Vithanage while the Director General of Wildlife, the Minister of Environment and the Attorney General were named as the respondents of the petition.
The petition states that under Section 68 (a) of the Wildlife and Flora Ordinance, the Director General of Wildlife has the power to formulate a national plan for elephants. For this, the approval of the Minister of Environment should be obtained and the plans should be prepared in accordance with the national and environmental policies and criteria. Such plans can be made for the conservation of wildlife, habitats, and biodiversity.
However, the respondents have not yet done so and the petition states that several elephants have been killed in the Habarana area in recent days.
Therefore, the petition seeks an order directing the respondents to prepare a national plan for such elephants.
The petition will be taken up again on March 29. Attorneys Ravindra Nath Dabare and Nilmal Wickramasinghe appeared for the petitioners.
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