New Delhi:The efforts to save the Tibetan Antelope got a boost yesterday when Delhi High Court dismissed the plea of a shahtoosh shawl trader to stay proceedings against him brought about on charges of possessing shahtoosh shawls. The origin of the Mohammed Ishaaq Baig versus State case goes back to 1999, when on 3 March 1999, a raid was conducted by Wildlife Inspectors and the accused was found to possess 159 shawls of which 10 shawls were found, by experts, to be of shahtoosh fibre, obtained from the fleece of Tibetan Antelope (Panthelops hodgsoni). The accused was liable to be punished under the Wildlife (Protection)Act, 1972. After pre-charge evidence, the Court framed charges against the accused under Sections 49, 49B and 51. Earlier this month, the accused approached Delhi High Court for quashing of the complaint and stay of the proceedings. Seeing the importance of the issue, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) also intervened in the case through Ms Meenakashi Lekhi and Mr Saurabh Sharma, Advocates who appeared and represented Wildlife Trust of India to support and assist the prosecution. In a positive move for wildlife conservation, Hon’ble Mr Justice S Muralidhar, in his order dated 25th February, 2009, not only declined to stay the proceedings but even dismissed the petition of the accused. He ordered that prosecution would get one opportunity to examine the forensic expert and also ordered that the case should be concluded in a strict time frame by July 2009. This is among the first few instances in which a wildlife crime case has been given a specific and quick timeframe for conclusion. Earlier also, WTI has intervened in the cases of Cottage Industries Exposition and Mohan Lal Relia where there were seizures of twelve and forty six shahtoosh shawls respectively.