Bhubaneswar: In a significant victory for wildlife conservation efforts, the court of Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate, Kuchinda, Sambalpur, convicted an accused on Monday in connection with the illegal trading of leopard skins.
The Special Task Force (STF) arrested Munda on February 15, 2024, on the Kuchinda-Bonaigarh road near the office-cum-residence of Banarakhi, Thianala, under Kuchinda Police Station, Sambalpur, while he was waiting for a customer to sell leopard skins.
The officials recovered two leopard skins and other wildlife products from the accused’s possession.
After a successful investigation by STF Inspector Sarita Beuria, a charge sheet was submitted against the accused persons under sections 379/411/120-B IPC r/w with section 51 of the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.
On July 29, the Sub-divisional Judicial Magistrate, Kuchinda, Abhisekh Jaiswal, sentenced Munda to three years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine.
This conviction marks the sixth successful prosecution of wildlife cases by the STF, Odisha, since its empowerment to investigate such cases in 2018.
The STF has booked 101 cases, arrested 232 wildlife criminals, and made significant seizures, including 59 leopard hides, 27 elephant tusks, 23 live pangolins, 42 kg of pangolin scales, two tiger hides, and 11 deer hides.
The conviction is a testament to the STF’s commitment to curbing organized crime and wildlife offences in the state.
