Tripura's Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife and Ecotourism), Prabin Lal Agrawal, has faced suspension for allegedly providing misleading information to the state government regarding the controversy surrounding the naming of a lioness as 'Sita' and a lion as 'Akbar', according to a top official on Monday.
Agrawal, a senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer of the 1994 batch, is said to have misrepresented facts to the state's council of ministers after a dispute arose over the naming of the lioness and lion.
As part of an animal exchange program and following Central Zoo Authority (CZA) guidelines, several animals, including a pair of Royal Bengal Tigers, leopards, golden pheasants, silver pheasants, peafowls, and hill mynas, were brought to Tripura's Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary and zoo from the North Bengal zoo in Siliguri earlier this month.
In return, a lion couple named 'Sita' and 'Akbar', a pair of spectacle monkeys, leopard cats, and blackbucks were sent from the Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary and zoo to the North Bengal zoo in Siliguri.
The Calcutta High Court's Circuit Bench at Jalpaiguri had directed that animals should not be named after gods, revered personalities, or renowned individuals following a petition by the Bengal wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) challenging the naming of the lion couple.
Upon hearing the VHP's plea, the High Court instructed the West Bengal government to change the names of the lion pair. However, the Bengal forest department informed the court that the names were given by Tripura authorities, thereby shifting the responsibility for any naming modifications to Tripura.
"After receiving communication from the Bengal forest department, the Tripura government questioned Agrawal about the issue. However, Agrawal allegedly misled the state’s council of ministers regarding the naming of the lion couple. Upon further investigation, it was discovered in official records that Agrawal was responsible for naming the big cats and had kept the government uninformed. Consequently, the state government suspended him on Friday (February 23)," revealed a top Tripura government official on condition of anonymity.
When approached for comment, Agrawal declined to speak to the media on the matter.
According to the suspension order issued by the Tripura government, disciplinary proceedings against Agrawal are underway.
"Considering this, the Competent Authority hereby suspends Agrawal with immediate effect. During this period, Agrawal will be stationed in Agartala and is prohibited from leaving the headquarters without prior authorization," the order stated.
Officials have clarified that 'Akbar', aged seven, was selected for the Bengal Safari Park by the Central Zoo Authority and the State Zoo Authority, while 'Sita', aged six, was born in Tripura's Sepahijala Wildlife Sanctuary and zoo in 2018.
Agrawal's suspension marks the first instance of a top all-India service officer in Tripura being suspended from service.
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