The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Gujarat government urging it to act within eight weeks over the death of a forest labourer and injuries to two others in a lion attack in the Devalia Safari Park in the Gir forest of Junagadh district last November.
Acting on a petition filed by Bhopal-based wildlife activist Ajay Dubey, the NHRC in a letter dated July 4 and addressed to the Secretary, State Department of Forest and Environment, directed the authorities concerned to “take appropriate action within eight weeks associating the complainant/victim and inform them of the action taken in the matter”.
At noon on November 29, 2018, two lions attacked Rajnish Keshwala and Dinesh Shokhat, daily wage labourers employed by the Forest Department who were leading the big cats to their cage in Devalia. While the lions dragged Keshwala into the forest and killed him, Mr. Shokhat managed to escape with some injuries. He informed officials of the department about the incident, after which 50 foresters began a search for Keshawala, whose body was recovered two hours later. Another labourer, M. R. Bharda, was attacked while recovering the body.
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Mr. Dubey has alleged that the park had been functioning without permission from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA)