Jalpaiguri: Poacher awarded 1-year imprisonment

SOUMITRA NANDI,, MP, 16 June 2023, KOLKATA: In the first-ever custody trial conviction at Jalpaiguri Court, a person was sentenced to one-year imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 for hunting a barking deer, considered a rare breed. 

The poacher was caught red-handed and taken into custody by the forest officials of the Jalpaiguri division in the second week of February while he was trying to flee with the carcass of the deer. 

The trial was conducted while the arrested person was in custody as the evidence presented before the court was certain that he would not get bail. Barking deer is listed under Schedule III of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and is listed as the Least Concern in IUCN Red List. 

The maximum quantum of punishment is three years of imprisonment. “The quantum of punishment may not be high but the conviction will surely carry a message that law does not spare even those who think that killing of animals like deer, turtle etc will not attract punishment,” advocate Samir Majumdar, who deals with cases of illegal wildlife trade associated with the state Forest Department, said. 

The meat of barking deer is very expensive and is sold at Rs 3,000-4,000 per kg illegally in the market. Its skin is also used for making mats. 

A senior official of the Forest department said that the conviction rate in cases of wildlife crime across the country is as low as 1.5 per cent, however, in the last two to three years, Bengal has had several convictions, particularly in Alipurduar Court. 

“It is very happy news and bears testimony to the fact that our officials were able to present a watertight case before the court along with strong evidence which led to the conviction within four months,” Debal Roy, state chief wildlife warden said. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/jalpaiguri-poacher-awarded-1-year-imprisonment-522343