SC restrains shifting of deer from Hauz Khas park

The Supreme Court has restrained the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and other authorities from shifting the remaining deer in the Deer Park, Hauz Khas, here, to forests in other states.

A Bench, led by Justice Abhay S Oka, also issued notice to the DDA Horticulture Director and others asking them to respond to a plea opposing relocation of deer by May 16 – the next date of hearing.

“For the time being, we restrain the respondents from shifting the existing deer out of Deer Park… We also make it clear that the deer shall be properly looked after by the respondents,” the Bench said in its April 30 order.

The direction came on a petition filed by New Delhi Nature Society, an NGO, which claimed that around 600 deer in Hauz Khas in South Delhi were likely to be relocated without proper habitat assessments, veterinary checks or safeguards for vulnerable groups like pregnant deer and fawns.

Three batches of deer have already been relocated hastily from Deer Park to sanctuaries in Rajasthan in contravention to wildlife protection laws, the NGO alleged.

Delhi