12 poachers get 3 years’ RI
In a judgment that will go a long way in wildlife protection, Allahabad additional district judge S N Agnihotri on Tuesday awarded 12 tiger poachers three-year rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 each under Section 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Ten of these poachers, who belong to Katni in Madhya Pradesh, are women.
Two men, Insatt and Sushil, and 10 women — Mirsana, Sarojini, Sukhchain, Suhana, Rafeli, Meenabai, Juhi Chawla, Kiloran, Rango and Chillo — were arrested in December 2007 in Allahabad along with four traders by a team of police and Special Task Force led by Civil Lines CO Arvind Chaturvedi. The police were assisted by the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI).
Three tiger skins and 75 kg of tiger bones were seized from the poachers. Tito Joseph of WPSI said: “The court had separated the cases of bird-catchers and the poachers.”
The 12 did not get bail and were lodged in jail since December 2007, according to lawyer Ved Prakash Mishra.
