A man has been sentenced to one year imprisonment for possessing and trying to sell a leopard pelt nearly 18 years ago by a Delhi court which refused to release him on probation saying such cases need to be dealt with strictly to curb wild life offences.
The court observed that wild life offences are not coming down despite efforts put in by governments of various countries across the globe.
Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Devendra Kumar Sharma while awarding the one year jail term and a fine of Rs 10,000 on Brijesh Kumar observed that Parliament, in bringing a new legislation for protection of wild life, was inspired by the urge to preserve what little is left of wild life.
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"Rapid decline of India's animal wealth, one of the richest in the world once upon a time, would have caused concern not only to the Zoologists and Ornithologists but to all others who know the consequences of deforestation.
"Some of the rare species have already been wiped out of the earth and some others have reached danger mark predicting total extinction unless expeditious protective measures are adopted," the court said.
It added, "despite best efforts put in by governments of almost all the countries across the globe, wild life offences are not coming down. Such case needs to be dealt with strictly to curb the wild life offences."
43-year-old Kumar, resident of Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh, was convicted under the provision of Wild life(Protection) Act for possessing a leopard skin for trade purposes in 1997.
His counsel argued that Kumar was facing trial since 1997 and had remained in judicial custody for nearly a month in 1997 and thereafter, again sent to jail for 25 days in 2013.
He sought a lenient view and that he be released on probation saying he was a diabetic and has to support his wife and three children and belonged to a poor family.
The court, however, said keeping in view the facts and circumstances of the case and nature of offence, no ground was made out for releasing the convict on probation.
It, however, allowed his plea to suspend the sentence and granted him bail for one month to enable him to file appeal against the judgement.
