New Delhi: The Tis Hazari Trial Court today recorded evidence of the last witness, VB Dasan, Wildlife Inspector, in a pending wildlife trade case against Sansar Chand, paving way for the trial to move to a conclusion and a verdict. The next date of hearing has been scheduled for October 29.

The case pertains to the seizure of a leopard skin from Chand’s possession in 1996 in Delhi.

Ashok Kumar, Vice-chairman, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), said, “This is one of the few cases in which there was direct recovery of a wildlife article from Sansar Chand. In most of the cases filed against him, he has been charged based on the evidence of other accused persons, including the Ajmer case in which he was awarded a sentence of five years, of which he has already served four.”

Saurabh Sharma, WTI lawyer who assisted the prosecution, said, “At the time of his arrest in 1996, the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act mandated a punishment of 1-6 years imprisonment along with a fine, if convicted for trading parts of Schedule I species like the leopard. Considering the antecedents of Chand, we are expecting a stiff sentence.”