New Delhi: From the day they were arrested to their eventual conviction by the courts, it barely took six months. In one of the fastest ever conviction cases pertaining to wildlife crime, 24 persons charged with poaching inside the Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarhole) National Park in Karnataka under three different cases have been sentenced to prison by the courts.On December 12, the Civil Judge of Heggadadevanakote convicted ten persons – five men and five women – under Section 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and Section 24 (j) of the Karnataka Forest Act, 1963. This was the last of the three cases related to the Nagarhole poaching incident in which almost 50 hunters primarily from Madhya Pradesh were caught inside the park with traps, weapons and other implements meant to put up temporary shelters inside the forests.

In this particular case, the ten persons – charges against whom were framed only on October 1, will undergo rigorous imprisonment for two years and pay a fine of Rs 5,000, and serve simple imprisonment for six months, under the two acts respectively. The sentences will run consecutively. Their bail applications had earlier been rejected by the Additional Sessions Judge of Mysore on August 31 and by the Karnataka High Court on September 27.

They had been arrested on June 10 from Mastigudi Beat of DB Kuppe Wildlife Range in Hunsur Wildlife Division. Except one man from Chaukamba village in Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh, the rest hailed from Biruhali of Katni Taluk, Jabalpur district in Madya Pradesh.

Earlier, on November 8, the Civil Judge at Periyapatna, convicted three men under Section 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and Section 24 (j) of the Karnataka Forest Act, 1963. They were convicted to undergo rigorous imprisonment for two years and pay a fine of Rs 2,000, and simple imprisonment for six months and pay a fine of Rs 500, under the two acts respectively. The four women will undergo simple imprisonment for one year and six months respectively.

They had been arrested from Kachuvinahalli under Anechowkoor Wildlife Range. Charges against them were framed on October 8. All seven of them were from Biruhali village. Their bail applications had earlier been rejected by the Civil Judge on July 27, the Additional Sessions Judge of Mysore on August 31, and the Karnataka High Court on September 27.

In the second case, charges against seven persons – five men and two women – were framed. They had been arrested from Sattekere in Veeranahosalli Wildlife Range. All seven of them were also from Biruhali village. Legal support in this case was provided by the Coorg Wildlife Society.

In a judgment delivered on November 20, the Civil Judge at Hunsur convicted the five men under Section 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and Section 24 (j) of the Karnataka Forest Act, 1963. They were convicted to undergo rigorous imprisonment for two years and pay a fine of Rs 5,000, and simple imprisonment for six months, under the two acts respectively. The two women will undergo simple imprisonment for six months and pay a fine of Rs 500.

The conviction was made possible due to the untiring efforts of three investigating officers – Mr MK Ravindra, Range Forest Officer of DB Kuppe Wildlife Range; Mr N Ravindra Kumar, Range Forest Officer of Veeranahosalli Wildlife Range; and Mr KD Belliappa, Range Forest Officer of Anechowkoor Wildlife Range. Investigation of these cases were conducted under the supervision of Mr AM Annaiah, Deputy Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Wildlife Division, Hunsur. The Assistant Public Prosecutors instrumental in the convictions were Ms MS Manjula, Mr L Nagaraj, and Mr TM Narendra.

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