Man gets 3 years jail for possession and consumption of deer meat

Alipurduar: The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Court in Alipurduar has sentenced one Rajesh Rabha to three years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 for the illegal possession and consumption of deer meat. The final verdict was delivered on Friday, nearly a year after the incident.

According to forest officials, the swift conviction serves as a significant milestone in the fight against wildlife crime.

The case dates back to May 16, 2024, when Rajiv Chakraborty, Forest Officer of the South Range of the Jaldapara Forest Division, led a raid in the Rabha Basti area of Salkumar Hat, Block No. 1 in Alipurduar district. During the raid, the forest team recovered 292 grams of roasted deer meat and two deer horns from the residence of a local resident, Rajesh Rabha.

Following the recovery, Rabha was arrested and a case was registered under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. After a year-long legal process, the ACJM Court delivered the verdict, sentencing Rabha to prison and levying a financial penalty.

Parveen Kaswan, Divisional Forest Officer of Jaldapara National Park, welcomed the judgment, stating: “This conviction underscores the Forest department’s firm stance against wildlife crime and sets a strong deterrent.”