Sambalpur: A court in Odisha’s Sambalpur district has sentenced a wildlife criminal to three years of rigorous imprisonment in a case of smuggling leopard skins.
The accused has been identified as Sankirtan Munda of Pahadamara village under Laimura police station in Deogarh.
The court sentenced the accused person to undergo rigorous imprisonment for three years with a fine for the commission of offence U/s. 411 IPC & u/s. 51 of The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
In this case, on 15.02.2024, STF, Bhubaneswar apprehended the above-noted accused person on Kuchinda-Bonaigarh road near office-cum-Residence of Banarakhi, Thianala under Kuchinda Police Station in Sambalpur and recovered two leopard skins with other wildlife products from his possession while the accused person along with another were waiting there to deliver the same to a customer.
After a successful investigation, a charge sheet was submitted against the accused persons U/s.
379/411/120-B IPC r/w. 51 of Wild Life Protection Act,1972.
During the investigation, the seized leopard skins were also sent to the Wild Life Institute of India, Dehradun for biological chemical examination and the opinion was received affirmatively.
The trial was conducted against the accused person and during the trial prosecution examined 07 witnesses and exhibited 11 documents.
