Former Uttarakhand Wildlife Chief Under Fire for Unlawful Elephant Exchange

Controversy shrouds Uttarakhand's wildlife department as former chief wildlife warden, Parag Madhukar Dhakate, faces allegations of illicit wildlife exchange. He purportedly swapped four elephant calves for adult tuskers without central clearance, igniting official investigations.

Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal condemned the maneuver as a grave misjudgment. Reports indicate that Dhakate authorized the transaction with Gujarat's Radha Krishna Temple's Mahant Jagdish Das, sans central nod.

Despite Dhakate's claim that his role authorized such exchanges, he proceeded prematurely. As probes deepen and a report reaches Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, ramifications loom for procedural breaches in wildlife governance.

(With inputs from agencies.)