(IN): Luckier dozens who got away

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Link: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070831/asp/nation/story_8258172.asp

 

Luckier dozens who got away

OUR CORRESPONDENT

 

*Jodhpur, Aug. 30:* Salman Khan may have been nailed in two cases but the

record of Jodhpur wildlife authorities against poachers has been poor.

 

Of the 640 poaching cases they have registered in the past 18 years, only 90

have reached the courts and 28 yielded convictions. The figures suggest that

just one out of every 20 to 25 poachers ends up behind bars.

 

Salman's two convictions, for killing a chinkara and a black buck, are not

on this list of 28 since both those cases were filed by police and not the

wildlife department, which registers its own cases.

 

The police had registered FIRs against Salman under pressure from the

Bishnois, a local community of wildlife worshippers. The wildlife

department's lone case against the actor is yet to reach the courts.

 

B.R. Bhadoo, district forest officer, cited manpower shortage as the reason

it had been so difficult to travel the 200 yards from the wildlife office to

the Jodhpur court. " A lot of time needs to be spent in investigation to get

a case to court, " he said.

 

With prosecution so " difficult " , 390 of the 640 cases have been settled at

the department level with fines, said officials who described these cases as

" minor " .

 

The wildlife office registered 62 cases in 2000-01, but only 15 made it to

the courts. The figures for 1998-99, the year of Salman's alleged rampage

through the district's forests, are 53 and nine.

 

The officials said most of their time and energy was spent patrolling the

forests to try and prevent poaching. The department reportedly receives two

or three tip-offs a day.

 

Still, the officials said, they were investigating 121 cases, some dating

back to 1991.

 

Bhadoo spoke enthusiastically about the state government's recent promise to

set up an anti-poaching cell.

 

" Forest minister Laxmi Narayan Dave suggested this on August 13. If this

comes through, there will be staff who will exclusively pursue things in

court, " Bhadoo said.

 

Wednesday brought cheer to the Jodhpur wildlife office when it was donated a

vehicle by the Bishnoi Tiger Force, an NGO active against felling and

poaching.

 

 

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