MP's Kuno Refuses To Disclose Cheetah Autopsy Reports Citing Foreign Relations, Wildlife Activist Questions RTI Exemption
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Kuno wildlife division office, Sheopur, refused to share information related to autopsy reports of cheetahs that died from Jan 1, 2024, to Jan 28, 2026. It said such information could not be disclosed as it could have an adverse effect on India’s relations with foreign countries with which memoranda of understanding (MOUs) have been signed in connection with the cheetah…
Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh: The Kuno wildlife division office in Sheopur has refused to disclose autopsy reports of cheetahs that died between January 1, 2024, and January 28, 2026. According to district forest officer R Thirukural, sharing this information could adversely affect India's relations with foreign countries involved in the cheetah project through memorandum of understanding (MOUs).
This response to wildlife activist Ajay Dubey's Right to Information (RTI) application highlights the exemption of such data under Section 8(1)(a) of the RTI Act, 2005. Kuno Wildlife Division, as an implementing agency, cannot provide these reports. Dubey argues that withholding post-mortem reports is a misuse of the exemption, questioning its application in this context.
He urges the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department to make all autopsy reports and foreign trip expenditures public. Furthermore, there is no information available regarding communications with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the Madhya Pradesh government, and the Ministry of Environment and Forest.
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