Baripada: The Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) in Baripada convicted two persons, Nirmal Birua and Prem Munda, for poaching a spotted deer in Similipal Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve. The convicts have been sentenced to four years of imprisonment and fined Rs 50,000 each.
According to the prosecution, on June 23, 2020, the accused persons entered the Similipal Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve, hunted a spotted deer, and were caught by forest officials on June 24, 2020. The court found them guilty under Section 51(1)(c) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
The court took a serious view of the offense, noting that the convicts had committed a serious crime by killing a Schedule-I species. However, the defence counsel pleaded for leniency, citing the convicts’ family circumstances.
