NAGARHOLE
POACHING CASE SETS TREND IN PROMPT CONVICTIONS
New Delhi, December 24, 2002: From
the day they were arrested to their eventual conviction
by the courts, it barely took six months. In one of
the fastest ever conviction cases pertaining to wildlife
crime, 24 persons charged with poaching inside the
Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarhole) National Park in Karnataka
under three different cases have been sentenced to
prison by the courts.
On December 12, the Civil Judge of Heggadadevanakote
convicted ten persons – five men and five women
– under Section 51 of the Wildlife Protection
Act, 1972, and Section 24 (j) of the Karnataka Forest
Act, 1963. This was the last of the three cases related
to the Nagarhole poaching incident in which almost
50 hunters primarily from Madhya Pradesh were caught
inside the park with traps, weapons and other implements
meant to put up temporary shelters inside the forests.
In this particular case, the ten persons –
charges against whom were framed only on October 1,
will undergo rigorous imprisonment for two years and
pay a fine of Rs 5,000, and serve simple imprisonment
for six months, under the two acts respectively. The
sentences will run consecutively. Their bail applications
had earlier been rejected by the Additional Sessions
Judge of Mysore on August 31 and by the Karnataka
High Court on September 27.
They had been arrested on June 10 from Mastigudi
Beat of DB Kuppe Wildlife Range in Hunsur Wildlife
Division. Except one man from Chaukamba village in
Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh, the rest hailed
from Biruhali of Katni Taluk, Jabalpur district in
Madya Pradesh.
Earlier, on November 8, the Civil Judge at Periyapatna,
convicted three men under Section 51 of the Wildlife
Protection Act, 1972, and Section 24 (j) of the Karnataka
Forest Act, 1963. They were convicted to undergo rigorous
imprisonment for two years and pay a fine of Rs 2,000,
and simple imprisonment for six months and pay a fine
of Rs 500, under the two acts respectively. The four
women will undergo simple imprisonment for one year
and six months respectively.
They had been arrested from Kachuvinahalli under
Anechowkoor Wildlife Range. Charges against them were
framed on October 8. All seven of them were from Biruhali
village. Their bail applications had earlier been
rejected by the Civil Judge on July 27, the Additional
Sessions Judge of Mysore on August 31, and the Karnataka
High Court on September 27.
In the second case, charges against seven persons
– five men and two women – were framed.
They had been arrested from Sattekere in Veeranahosalli
Wildlife Range. All seven of them were also from Biruhali
village. Legal support in this case was provided by
the Coorg Wildlife Society.
In a judgment delivered on November 20, the Civil
Judge at Hunsur convicted the five men under Section
51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and Section
24 (j) of the Karnataka Forest Act, 1963. They were
convicted to undergo rigorous imprisonment for two
years and pay a fine of Rs 5,000, and simple imprisonment
for six months, under the two acts respectively. The
two women will undergo simple imprisonment for six
months and pay a fine of Rs 500.
The conviction was made possible due to the untiring
efforts of three investigating officers – Mr
MK Ravindra, Range Forest Officer of DB Kuppe Wildlife
Range; Mr N Ravindra Kumar, Range Forest Officer of
Veeranahosalli Wildlife Range; and Mr KD Belliappa,
Range Forest Officer of Anechowkoor Wildlife Range.
Investigation of these cases were conducted under
the supervision of Mr AM Annaiah, Deputy Conservator
of Forests (Wildlife), Wildlife Division, Hunsur.
The Assistant Public Prosecutors instrumental in the
convictions were Ms MS Manjula, Mr L Nagaraj, and
Mr TM Narendra.
Continued...
