(IN): Moved by Czech scientists’ plight, HC calls for order in Darjeeling

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Moved by Czech scientists' plight, HC calls for order in Darjeeling **

Kartyk Venkatraman*Posted online: Saturday , July 12, 2008 at 02:23:55

Updated: Saturday , July 12, 2008 at 02:23:55*

 

Moved by Czech scientists’ plight, HC calls for order in Darjeeling

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Kartyk Venkatraman

Posted online: Saturday , July 12, 2008 at 02:23:55

Updated: Saturday , July 12, 2008 at 02:23:55 Print Email To Editor Post

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Kolkata, July 11 The plight of jailed Czech entomologists Petr Svacha and Emil

Kucera — compounded by the collapse of the judicial system in Darjeeling — found

an echo in the Calcutta High Court today.

In a petition pointing out the plight of the Czech scientists, advocate Rabi

Shankar Chatterjee blamed the total collapse of the judicial machinery in

Darjeeling district.

 

The scientists, it said, were denied their right to be produced before a

magistrate after their arrest on June 22 due to the stalemate. All courts in the

three hill subdivisions have been closed indefinitely.

 

The Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court, chaired by Chief Justice SS

Nijjar and Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghosh directed the state government to restore

normalcy in judicial system and submit a status report within three weeks.

 

A senior official at the Czech Embassy, meanwhile, told The Indian Express that

Czech Ambassador Dr Hynek Kmonicek will be visiting Darjeeling next week to meet

Svacha and Kucera.

 

“The Ambassador would be visiting between Monday and Thursday, taking along a

Kolkata lawyer to represent the two. We will try to shift the case to a Kolkata

court as the Darjeeling courts are not functioning,” said Acting Consul Jan

Kreuter.

 

A statement by the jailed entomologists, issued on their behalf by the Czech

Embassy, stated: “We have never entered the Singalila National Park, and the

charges under Sections 9 and 27 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 are

therefore in our opinion are without merit. Also, Seshmani Gurung is not our

lawyer since July 4, and has therefore has no right to speak on our behalf or

provide any information about our case to the press.”

 

Kreuter added they had experienced “communication problems” with Darjeeling

lawyers including Gurung, who were on strike.

 

The Acting Consul, who is also the deputy Head of the Mission, had visited

Svacha and Kucera in jail last Monday.

 

“We found the jail authorities to be very cooperative,” he said. Upon request,

they allowed the detainees to use their sleeping bags. Neither of them

complained about the food. But they have been kept in the same cell with 29

other undertrials. “They aren’t suffering from any major illness, but Svacha is

a very frail man. I’m told it’s one of the better jails in India, but both are

aged over 50, and prolonged detention could harm their health,” Kreuter said.

 

The two have been in custody for more than 20 days now. While Svacha is a

renowned entomologist, not much is known about Kucera. He is said to be an

amateur entomologist and was travelling with Svacha as an aide. He is also said

to have published several papers, but in the Czech language.

 

In Darjeeling, Divisional Forest Officer Sumita Ghatak said the public

prosecutor would be opposing the duo’s bail plea — for the third time — on July

21. “It is clear that Svacha is an eminent scientist, but we are trying to

establish Kucera’s credentials. We want to know if his intent is commercial or

scientific.”

 

According to Anup Duttagupta, Professor of Zoology with the Bidhannagar

Government College, there is a huge demand for insect larvae as a delicacy in

Southeast Asia. Also, certain chemicals found in the blood of some insects is

extracted and sold as aphrodisiacs. Heavy consumption by locals and periodic

migration reduces the insect population in south east Asia, so the shortfall is

sourced from India. “The Zoological Survey of India is insincere and

lackadaisical. If foreign scientists want to do the work, what’s wrong? It’s

unfortunate the Czech entomologists didn’t come through the right channels,”

Dattagupta said.

 

 

 

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