Delhi government decides to remove Wildlife SOS from its newly constituted State Board for Wildlife following objections from a wildlife activist.
Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa says the NGO's association with the Delhi forest department will end immediately, with a formal order to follow.
The decision comes amid an investigation into an alleged leopard poaching network linked to Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.
Wildlife SOS chief executive Kartick Satyanarayan was questioned by investigators in connection with the seizure of 10 leopard skins in Agra.
Activist Ajay Dubey has demanded an inquiry into the appointment process and stricter background checks for non-official board members.
The Delhi government has decided to remove conservation organisation Wildlife SOS from its newly constituted State Board for Wildlife after an activist questioned its appointment amid an ongoing investigation into alleged leopard poaching linked to the organisation in Madhya Pradesh.
Delhi Environment and Forest Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa told the daily Hindustan Times late on November 2 that Wildlife SOS would be dropped from the board and that its association with the Delhi government's forest department would end immediately. He said a formal order would be issued soon.
The decision followed objections raised by Madhya Pradesh-based wildlife activist Ajay Dubey, who questioned the appointment of the organisation while its chief executive, Kartick Satyanarayan, was facing scrutiny in connection with an alleged leopard poaching network linked to Kuno National Park.
The controversy emerged as the Delhi government announced its first State Board for Wildlife, constituted through a gazette notification issued on October 27 under Section 6 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Wildlife SOS has come under scrutiny in an investigation into the alleged poaching of 10 leopards linked to the Kuno National Park landscape in Madhya Pradesh.
According to a Hindustan Times report, investigators alleged that an employee of Wildlife SOS joined a poaching network under a false identity and helped its members poach at least 10 leopards. The employee allegedly claimed to have infiltrated the network as an informer to raise funds.
The investigation followed the seizure of 10 leopard skins in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, on July 23, and the arrest of 11 suspected smugglers from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Investigators also recovered animal body parts, skeletons and leg-hold traps.
The Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force (STSF) questioned Wildlife SOS chief executive and co-founder Kartick Satyanarayan for three days until September 30 in connection with the seizures and the organisation's alleged links to the poaching network, according to a Times of India report.
In a letter dated November 2, Dubey alleged that the inclusion of Wildlife SOS in the newly constituted board compromised the integrity of wildlife governance in the national capital.
The letter was addressed to Delhi's Lieutenant Governor, Chief Minister and Chief Secretary, as well as the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, National Tiger Conservation Authority and Central Zoo Authority.
Dubey questioned the decision to appoint Wildlife SOS as a non-official member representing NGOs while its chief executive was facing allegations in connection with a wildlife crime investigation.
He argued that appointing an organisation facing such allegations to a statutory advisory body could undermine public confidence in wildlife conservation.
Dubey also cited Section 6(1)(g) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, arguing that appointments should be restricted to organisations and individuals with established conservation credentials, relevant expertise and an unblemished record.
"There appears to have been no formal background check, scrutiny of credentials, or institutional due diligence conducted by the administration before nominating non-official members to this statutory body," he alleged.
He further questioned what he described as the absence of clear procedures governing the selection, vetting, tenure and removal of non-official members of Delhi's wildlife board.
According to Dubey, the lack of transparent rules and objective qualification criteria could allow arbitrary appointments, including those of organisations facing controversy.
In his letter, Dubey demanded the immediate dissolution of the newly notified Delhi State Board for Wildlife.
He called for the board to be reconstituted only after rigorous verification of the credentials of conservation experts, wildlife organisations and other non-official representatives.
Dubey also sought a formal inquiry into the backgrounds, track records, pending criminal cases and financial records of NGO representatives, including Wildlife SOS, before they were considered for official appointments.
"Given the vital role of the State Board for Wildlife in protecting urban biodiversity and enforcing national conservation mandates, statutory integrity must not be compromised," he said.