Over 69,000 Karnataka Forest Offence Cases Pending, 4,146 in Bengaluru Circle

A total of 69,260 forest offence cases remain unresolved across Karnataka, including 4,146 pending cases in the Bengaluru Circle, according to data from the Karnataka Forest Department. The department disposed of only 408 cases in the Bengaluru Circle over the past year, highlighting an ongoing struggle to process violations.

Statewide, the pending files include 4,374 wildlife offence cases, with others involving forest encroachment, sandalwood, red sandalwood, and rosewood offences. Between April 2025 and March 2026, forest authorities across Karnataka disposed of only 3,959 cases while booking 5,655 new offences, causing the backlog to exceed annual disposals.

To address the delays, the Forest Department launched a dedicated software application named Garudakshi to review cases, speed up procedural timelines, and improve transparency. The software is designed to track investigation procedures up to final case disposal, generate required paperwork, and reduce the time taken by officials to register First Information Reports. The department is currently conducting a pilot run of the application across selected divisions.

Kumar Pushkar, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden of Karnataka, stated that jurisdictional officers and range forest officers are tasked with managing legal procedures. He noted that many forest and wildlife offences occur in remote wilderness areas, making it difficult to find witnesses, collect evidence, or trace suspects.

Pushkar also pointed to administrative constraints, revealing that nearly 50 per cent of ground-level frontline posts in the department remain vacant. He explained that frontline staff are tasked with multiple department duties in addition to booking and pursuing legal cases, which slows down the pace of resolution.

Wildlife conservationists, however, stressed that department personnel must be more proactive. Joseph Hoover, a former member of the State Board of Wildlife and founder of the United Conservation Movement and Charitable Trust, said the department's legal cell must be made functional rather than remaining on paper. He noted that some officials hesitate to register offences to avoid prolonged court procedures, adding that the core issue lies in departmental follow-up.