Archive · 22 Sep 2026
Supreme Court Restores Arrest Protection for Wildlife SOS CEO
The Supreme Court has again protected Kartick Satyanarayan from being arrested for now.
The case concerns the alleged poaching of leopards in Madhya Pradesh.
A lower court had removed that protection.
The lower court said Satyanarayan had not cooperated fully with investigators.
The Forest Department says he did not join the investigation into 10 allegedly poached leopards.
Satyanarayan says he is not absconding.
Wildlife SOS says its anti-poaching team helped authorities discover the alleged racket.
The Supreme Court ordered him to meet forest officials and cooperate on September 28.
The Supreme Court restored protection from arrest for Wildlife SOS CEO Kartick Satyanarayan in an alleged leopard poaching case.
The order followed Satyanarayan’s challenge to a Madhya Pradesh High Court decision withdrawing interim protection.
The Supreme Court said the High Court’s September 2 order would remain suspended until the writ petitions are decided.
Satyanarayan was directed to appear before forest authorities at 11 a.m. on September 28 and cooperate with the investigation.
The Forest Department alleges he failed to join an investigation into the alleged poaching of 10 leopards, while Satyanarayan rejects being described as absconding.
- Who
- Wildlife SOS co-founder and CEO Kartick Satyanarayan, the Supreme Court, the Madhya Pradesh High Court, and Madhya Pradesh forest authorities.
- What
- The Supreme Court restored Satyanarayan’s protection from arrest in an alleged leopard poaching case and directed him to cooperate with investigators.
- When
- The Supreme Court order was reported on September 22; Satyanarayan was directed to appear before forest authorities at 11 a.m. on September 28.
- Where
- The alleged poaching investigation concerns Sheopur and Morena districts in Madhya Pradesh; the matter was heard by the Supreme Court.
- Why
- The protection was restored after Satyanarayan challenged the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s withdrawal of interim protection from arrest.
Forest Department’s Allegations
Satyanarayan and Wildlife SOS’s Response
Cooperation with investigation
Forest Department’s Allegations
The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department alleged that Satyanarayan failed to join the investigation and suppressed a third summons and an arrest warrant. The High Court said he had not cooperated despite protection.
Satyanarayan and Wildlife SOS’s Response
Satyanarayan rejected the state’s description of him as absconding. Wildlife SOS said seeking legal protection did not amount to refusing to cooperate.
Role in the alleged poaching case
Forest Department’s Allegations
Authorities are investigating the alleged poaching of 10 leopards across Sheopur and Morena districts.
Satyanarayan and Wildlife SOS’s Response
Wildlife SOS maintained that its anti-poaching unit assisted authorities in uncovering the alleged racket.
- Person involved
- Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS
- Case
- Alleged poaching of 10 leopards
- Location of alleged poaching
- Sheopur and Morena districts, Madhya Pradesh
- Supreme Court direction
- Protection from arrest restored, without expressing an opinion on the merits
- Required appearance
- Satyanarayan must appear before forest authorities at 11 a.m. on September 28
- High Court action
- The Madhya Pradesh High Court had withdrawn interim protection from arrest
- Wildlife SOS position
- The organisation says its anti-poaching unit assisted authorities and that seeking legal protection did not mean refusing to cooperate