12 poachers get 3 years' RI

ALLAHABAD/LUCKNOW: 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.

The article can be found at http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/i...ow/5975055.cms

Unfortunately the 3 yrs punishment awarded is the maximum permissible under the current laws. Most of the times, the courts don't even award maximum punishment.

These cases should be treated as criminal cases and tried in the sessions court. Laws have to be revamped to make those stronger so that the punishment acts as a deterrent.