Police, Forest Department, Excise Department, and Tax Department each have their own intelligence wings. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the information provided by informants is more valuable than the information these departments gather on their own. Raids are often conducted based on the information provided by these informants. If the information turns out to be accurate, the informants are rewarded with monetary compensation. In such cases, department officials maintain the confidentiality of the informants’ identities. This is a must. This is ethics.
Only when this ethical standard is upheld do informants develop trust in the officials. They are willing to take risks and provide information. Similarly, if operations based on an informant’s information are successful, officials also begin to trust that informant. Thus, this is a process that operates on mutual trust and confidence.
Currently, a unfortunate incident has occurred where the trust an informant placed in an official has been betrayed. This is a case of breach of trust by an official of the Karnataka Forest Department.
“Ten days ago, an incident of poaching wildlife occurred in the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve. A group of four poachers opened fire on forest staff while trying to escape. When forest officials chased them, the poachers abandoned their motorcycle and fled. Following a tip from an informant, the operation continued, and two of the poachers were spotted in a tribal settlement adjacent to Nagarahole. However, they were not arrested. Frustrated by this, the informant wrote a letter to the Forest Minister, demanding action,” said renowned environmentalist Joseph Hoover.
Subsequently, the Forest Minister’s office instructed the Additional Chief Secretary (Forest) to investigate the matter. The Additional Chief Secretary, in turn, wrote to the Chief Wildlife Warden, directing him to conduct an inquiry and take appropriate action.
The position of Range Forest Officer (RFO) in the Forest Department is a highly responsible executive role. Naturally, letters from higher authorities are forwarded to them with instructions to take appropriate action. However, when this letter reached the Nagarahole RFO, no action was taken against the culprits. Instead, the RFO disclosed to the tribal leaders of the settlement—where the accused were hiding—that the informant had written a letter to the Forest Minister. The RFO revealed the identity of the person who wrote the letter.
It is inappropriate for a forest official to disclose the identity of an informant who provided information. Questioning how any informant would be willing to provide information in the future, Joseph Hoover has strongly condemned this incident.
Both the informant who provided the information and the individuals associated with the illegal poachers belong to the same tribal community in the forest. In such a situation, if the Range Forest Officer deliberately shared the informant’s letter with the tribal leaders, what would happen to the informant?
Naturally, members of the tribal community would be angry with the informant for providing information about their own people. There is a possibility that the informant could face social ostracism or be isolated. The accused might also become furious with the informant for snitching. This could lead to any number of consequences.
The Range Forest Officer of Nagarahole has paved the way for all these unfortunate outcomes. If this continues, no informant will be willing to provide confidential information about forest bandits or wildlife poachers in the future. This, in turn, will naturally hinder the protection of forests and wildlife.
In this context, it is necessary for the department to take strict action against the forest official who has committed a breach of duty and trust. Under no circumstances should such an official be appointed to any executive position. Will the Forest Minister take swift action in this regard?
There are also allegations that some mahouts and kavadis (traditional elephant handlers) in Nagarahole regularly hunt deer and other wildlife and share the meat with their colleagues in elephant camps. Environmentalists have demanded an investigation into this as well, and if the allegations are found to be true, action should be taken against the culprits.
