New Delhi, Sept. 17 -- The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought the response of the central government and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) on a plea that alleged organised poaching of tigers in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, and called for a CBI probe.

After considering brief submissions of the petitioner, advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal, a bench of Chief Justice of India B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran issued notices to the said authorities seeking their responses to the plea in four weeks.

As per the plea, an SIT probe undertaken by the Maharashtra government has unearthed a wide network of professional poachers, smugglers, and hawala operators involved in the killing of tigers in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.

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