Alipurduar: In a major boost to wildlife protection efforts, the Jaldapara Wildlife Division secured convictions in four separate wildlife crime cases on the same day in the court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Alipurduar.
In the first case, Ejajul Hoque, Sekendar Ali and Babla Barman were convicted for illegal possession and trade of hog deer antlers, a Schedule I protected species. Acting on a tip-off, forest officials seized 13 antlers from the accused during a raid. All three were sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 50,000 each, with two months’ additional imprisonment in default.
In the second case, Manik Hussain Sarkar, Manirul Hoque and Asraf Hossain of Dakshin Shibkata, Samuktala, were convicted for trading live tokay geckos. Three geckos were recovered from their possession. Each was awarded three years of rigorous imprisonment and a Rs 50,000 fine, with six months’ imprisonment in default.
In another case, Kailash Baraik (28) was convicted after a speedy trial of eight months and five days for possessing and cooking barking deer meat and antlers. Lankapara Range officials seized cooked meat, organs and utensils from Ramjhora, later confirmed by ZSI, Kolkata. He was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and fined Rs 50,000.
In the fourth case, Bikash Ch Barman and Arup Gupta were convicted for trafficking a live pangolin, seized during an August 29, 2019, raid near Sonapur Chowpathy. Both received three years’ imprisonment and Rs 50,000 fines.
Reacting to the series of convictions, Parveen Kaswan, DFO of Jaldapara Wildlife Division, said: “These convictions mark a significant achievement for the Jaldapara Wildlife Division and send a strong message against wildlife crimes. The success reflects the dedication of our field staff, intelligence network, scientific institutions, investigators, prosecutors, and the judiciary in safeguarding India’s precious wildlife heritage.”