Can't Compensate for Zoo Mishap: Delhi Government to HC

New Delhi, Jan 28 (IANS) The Delhi government's forest department Wednesday expressed its inability before the Delhi High Court to pay compensation for a mishap in the National Zoological Park.

The court was informed that the National Zoological Park in the city is under the control of the central government and the Delhi government has no jurisdiction over the working of the zoo. So, it is not competent to give compensation.

The affidavit was filed by the chief wildlife warden in the Department of Forest and Wildlife of the Delhi government before a division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice R.S Endlaw on a plea filed by the widow of a man mauled to death by a tiger at the zoo.

The widow has sought Rs.50 lakh compensation for "security lapses" on the part of the authorities after her 20-year-old husband was mauled to death by a white tiger at the Delhi zoo Sep 24, 2014.

The man, Maqsood from central Delhi's Anand Parbat area, had apparently crossed the barrier and jumped into the tiger enclosure. The affidavit said as the wildlife department has no jurisdiction over the National Zoological Park, it cannot compensate the wife of the man who died.

"The petition be dismissed. The Delhi government is not competent for awarding the compensation to the petitioner," it added.

Maqsood's widow Fatima has said the government was liable to pay compensation to the family as there was negligence on the part of the authorities due to which her husband, the only earning member of the family, died.

The plea said Maqsood lost his life because the authorities, upon whom rested the responsibility to take care of the zoo, failed to discharge their duties and they had no emergency or contingency plans to rescue people in such untoward incidents.