MP: Four convicted in Betul bear hunting for using paw in witchcraft; get three-year RI
Bhopal/Betul, Aug 19 (IANS) A court in Madhya Pradesh’s Betul on Wednesday sentenced four men to three years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) and a fine of Rs 10,000 each in a bear hunting case registered by the Forest Range Sarni (General) eight years ago.
One co-accused remains absconding, so no court judgment has been pronounced against him.
According to forest officials, the convicts are Pritish, Ramen alias Chunky, Rahul, (both residents of Batkidoh); and Vasu of Nischintpur village.
Prosecution officers Ajit Singh and Abhaydeep Singh Thakur represented the state government.
On December 14, 2018, a dead bear was discovered in a drain near the boundary line in compartment of Hirapur beat under Forest Range Sarni (General).
The animal’s right paw had been severed and the nails of the other paw were missing.
Prima facie evidence pointed to hunting.
The forest department registered an offence under the Wildlife Protection Act against unknown persons.
Investigators later received a tip-off and arrested the four accused.
During the police questioning, all the four accused confessed to the crime.
They admitted placing a peg and galvanised iron wire in the forest drain and passing an electric current through it with the intention of killing the wild animal.
The bear died from electrocution.
The accused then cut off one paw and extracted the nails from the other for use in witchcraft.
Once the offence was established, a formal complaint was filed in court.
After examining the evidence produced during the trial, the court of Judicial Magistrate First Class, Suresh Yadav, has held the four men guilty of hunting the bear and possessing its body parts.
It sentenced each of them to three years’ rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000.
No judgment was delivered against co-accused Kalu alias Subhash, son of Khirat Badhai and a resident of Nutandanga village, who is still absconding.
The forest department has intensified its efforts to bring the absconding perpetrator of the crime to justice.
–IANS
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