The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday directed the State to file a report on a public interest litigation petition that sought a direction to the District Collectors to take appropriate action to detain habitual forest offenders within the category of Forest Offender under the Tamil Nadu Preventive Detention Act, 1982 (Goondas Act).

A Division Bench of Justices N. Sathish Kumar and M. Jothiraman issued the direction while hearing a petition filed by R. Manibharathi of Madurai.

The petitioner said though repeated and organised wildlife offences were committed in forest areas, the provision was not invoked to detain the offenders as Forest Offenders, resulting in the continued destruction of forests, wildlife, marine ecosystem and other natural resources.

Most of the wildlife offences were committed by organised groups and habitual offenders. In the southern parts of Tamil Nadu, there were frequent incidents of illegal tree felling, timber smuggling, poaching of wild animals, illegal wildlife trade, destruction of elephant corridors, forest fires caused intentionally for illegal occupation, assault and obstruction of forest officials during discharge of their duties and activities causing ecological damage. But such offenders were not being detained under the Tamil Nadu Preventive Detention Act, 1982, he said.

He said he had made a representation to the authorities concerned to take appropriate action to detain the habitual forest offenders within the category of ‘Forest Offender’ provided under the Tamil Nadu Preventive Detention Act, 1982. But no action had been initiated.

The petitioner sought directions for effective implementation of the ‘Forest Offenders’ category under Section 2(1)(ee) of the Tamil Nadu Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Bootleggers, Cyber Law Offenders, Drug Offenders, Forest Offenders, Goondas, Immoral Traffic Offenders, Sand Offenders, Sexual Offenders, Slum Grabbers and Video Pirates Act, 1982 (Tamil Nadu Act 14 of 1982) to prevent the organised forest crimes and to protect the forests and wildlife. The court posted the matter to July 20.