Arrest of insect thieves

[Guest guest]

* The Times of India, Kolkata Friday, September 12,2008

 

Forest officials elated at Czechs' conviction

 

 

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

 

Kolkata: The conviction of Czech scientist Emil Kucera — who was sentenced

to three years' imprisonment by the chief judicial magistrate's court in

Darjeeling on Wednesday for violating the Biodiversity Act — will go a long

way in protecting the region's forest resources.

Forest officials, who had been working hard to ensure that Kucera and his

biologist companion Petr Svacha did not get away, were elated by the

judgment. Svacha, however, has been let off with a fine.

" It is a landmark judgment. Over the last few years, there have been

several cases of illegal collection of insects and butterflies. But none was

punished. This time, we were hell-bent on ensuring that the offenders did

not get away just because they were foreigners. We had gathered enough

evidence that helped to nail the duo, " said Utpal Nag, assistant divisional

forest officer of Darjeeling, who played a key role in getting Kucera and

Svacha arrested and jailed.

It was under his leadership that forest officials collected 46 documents

against the Czechs. These included their e-mails, photographs taken by a

digital camera, a pen drive and instruments used to collect butterflies from

the Singalila National Park.

" Some of the documents were quite incriminating. But the fact remained

that they were foreigners and that the Czech ambassador was playing an

active role to ensure their release. It, however, did not deter us from

pursuing the case. We always knew that their intentions were suspect and

that they had come here to collect butterflies knowing fully well that it

was not permitted, " added Nag.

" Both Kucera and Svacha have been found guilty and we stand vindicated.

Though the latter has been let off, he has not been absolved of the

charges, " he pointed out.

The Czechs, meanwhile, are yet to decide their next course of action.

" Once we get a copy of the judgment, we will decide on appealing against

the order, " said Sheshmani Gurung, defence lawyer of the Czech duo.

*