Following the recent directive from the Calcutta High Court, which mandated the renaming of two lions previously identified as Akbar and Sita, the Tripura government has taken action by suspending a senior forest department official. Specifically, the Tripura government has initiated the suspension of Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Pravin Lal Agrawal, who holds the positions of Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) and Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW).
The suspension of Agrawal stems from the controversy surrounding the naming of a lion as 'Akbar' and a lioness as 'Sita' by zoo authorities in Tripura. Notably, these two felines were recently transferred to the Bengal Safari Park in Siliguri from Tripura's Sepahijala Zoo.
The decision to suspend Agrawal comes shortly after the Vishwa Hindu Parishad raised objections with the Calcutta High Court regarding the cohabitation of the lion named 'Akbar' with the lioness named 'Sita' within the same enclosure, a move initiated by the West Bengal forest department. Subsequently, the High Court instructed the Bengal government to rename the aforementioned big cats. In response, the state government clarified to the court that the naming of the two lions had been carried out by the Tripura Zoo authorities back in 2016 and 2018.
As per the Tripura government's suspension order concerning Pravin Lal Agrawal, he has been directed to remain stationed in Agartala during the period of his suspension. Furthermore, Agrawal has been instructed not to depart from his designated headquarters in Agartala without securing prior authorization from the competent authority.
