Is the government serious about combating wildlife crime? A 21-year case in which the wildlife department seized 81 skins of rare animals, including three tiger skins, 29 leopard skins, five crocodile skins as also the skins of jackals and mongoose right in the heart of Delhi, saw an additional chief metropolitan magistrate bring the case to a closure in mid-August by giving the accused, both residents of Old Delhi, one year of imprisonment and a fine of `50,000.
This was one of the biggest hauls of freshly killed animals made by the wildlife department and it had a distinct connection with poacher and smuggler Sansar Chand, who has confessed during interrogation of killing over 470 tigers. The house in which the two accused had been caught had been rented to none other than Sansar Chand according to the testimony of the landlord who informed the court that the aforesaid premises were given to Sansar Chand in July 1992 and that both the accused were his employees.
Nevertheless, six years later, Chand was discharged for lack of proof.
The case hinged around the fact that despite the court being provided detailed photographs and the actual skins of the wild animals, the prosecution took the stance that the skins were not sent for identification to the CFSL as if a wildlife inspector needs a degree in forensics to be able to identify a tiger skin. Chand has been caught for over 50 cases of killing and cruelty to animals but thanks to shoddy investigations and the poacher’s ability to hoodwink the police, he has always managed to escape.
Prior to this case, a Delhi court refused to slap the stringent anti-organised crime law Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act on technical grounds against Chand which, if implemented, would have prevented him from getting bail. But the Delhi court again argued that MCOCA charges did not apply as it was filed as a supplementary charge.
Conviction rates are as low as five per cent and most wildlife criminals remain repeated offenders. “Even if the government levies 10 cases against them they continue to poach with impunity because they know all the loopholes,” said Tito Joseph, project manager, Wildlife Protection Society of India.