Jungle Safari faces negligence and corruption allegations

Raipur | Correspondent: Eight months after the death of 17 four-horned antelopes at the Jungle Safari in Nava Raipur, the Forest department is under fire for allegedly trying to cover up the situation.

This controversy is set to be addressed in the upcoming legislative assembly session.

Dr Sonam Mishra, an assigned contractual veterinary in Safari has been dismissed. However, Chief Medical Officer Dr. Rakesh Kumar Verma, who is at the center of the controversy, has faced only minimal punishment despite serious allegations of negligence.

Sudhir Agarwal, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Wildlife, recommended only a warning for Dr. Verma. The report also mentions irregularities in the appointment of Dr. Verma, which Agarwal did not address.

Two days ago, a recommendation was made to stop the salary hikes of Dr. Verma and Assistant Forest Conservator Y.K. Dahriya. However, it is believed that this recommendation was made only out of fear that the issue would be raised in the Assembly.

Doctor chose holiday leave over death of the animals’

Four-horned antelopes are Schedule I animals, a category that also includes tigers and other species.

A report by the investigation committee of the Forest Department reveals significant negligence by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Rakesh Kumar Verma in the deaths of 17 four-horned antelopes at Jungle Safari in November last year.

Despite being informed about the illness of several antelopes on November 24, 2023, Dr. Verma did not arrive at Jungle Safari until 10:30 am the next day.

The investigation team concluded that timely treatment could have saved the animals, but Dr. Verma’s extreme negligence contributed to their deaths. Further, Dr. Verma failed to inform the Jungle Safari operator about the deaths, leading to continued fatalities over the next several days.

The investigation also found that despite the sudden deaths of these Schedule I animals, Dr. Verma went on unauthorized leave from November 26 to November 30.

Dr. Verma is accused of taking leave without permission, knowing that Junior Veterinary Officer Dr. Sonam Mishra was also absent. The investigation team stated that if Dr. Verma had not committed this misconduct, many four-horned antelopes might have survived.

Before taking unauthorized leave, Dr. Verma conducted post-mortems on only two of the five dead antelopes and fabricated reports for the others. The investigation team questioned why fake post-mortem reports were made if the antelopes were to be cremated without one.

Despite these serious allegations, Sudhir Agarwal recommended only a warning for Dr. Verma. Legal experts believe that issuing a warning instead of a suspension shows Agarwal may be trying to protect Dr. Verma from more serious consequences.

Fraud in the integration into the forest department

Dr. Rakesh Verma, already under scrutiny for negligence in the deaths of 17 four-horned antelopes at Jungle Safari, faces further accusations of involvement in a scam worth Rs 8.44 crore.

Last year, Priyanka Shukla of the Aam Aadmi Party lodged a written complaint with top officials of the Forest Department about this matter. An investigation confirmed the allegations, yet no action was taken against Dr. Verma.

According to the complaint, Dr. Rakesh Verma, while working as an Assistant Project Officer in the District Panchayat, Kanker, from August 30, 2006, to July 23, 2007, along with his colleagues, fraudulently misappropriated Rs 8.44 crore from the National Employment Guarantee Scheme.

In 2010, the State Economic Offences Investigation Bureau, Raipur, registered crime number 58/2010 against Dr. Verma under sections 409, 420, 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code and sections 13(1)C, 13(1)D, 13(2) of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Although Dr. Verma was suspended, he was never arrested.

While the case was ongoing, Dr. Verma transferred to the Forest Department on deputation from the Veterinary Department. In 2018, he was officially merged into the Forest Department.

Notably, Dr. Verma’s name was not included in the original proposal for the merger of officers sent by the Forest Department to the state government. However, by creating a confusing situation, Dr. Verma was illegally merged into the Forest Department.

During this time, Dr. Verma kept the case against him a secret and never informed the Forest Department about his criminal charges.

High Court granted conditional bail

When rumors of Dr. Rakesh Kumar Verma’s arrest for the Rs 8.44 crore scam surfaced in 2022, he filed a bail petition in the local court of Kanker. The court, recognizing the seriousness of the case, rejected his bail petition.

Dr. Verma then filed a bail petition in the Chhattisgarh High Court, which was conditionally accepted. During these proceedings, Dr. Verma was present in Kanker and the High Court but did not inform or get approval from the Forest Department, which is a violation.

Despite a thorough investigation and a report sent to top officials, no action was taken against Dr. Verma.