(IN): Czech scientist flees country

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http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081029/jsp/siliguri/story_10033370.jsp

 

Girlfriend link in Czech escape: Report

VIVEK CHHETRI

 

*Darjeeling, Oct. 28:* Emil Kucera had called up his girlfriend for one of

his passports and some money before he crossed over to Nepal and fled to his

country, the Czech Republic. The forester has said this in an interview to

Czech Television, reports *Aktualne*, a Czech newspaper.

 

*The Telegraph* had yesterday reported that Kucera had used three passports

to visit India five times between 1999 and 2008. Only one of them — No

35667512 — had been seized and is now with the chief judicial magistrate's

court in Darjeeling.

 

The Czech Ambassador in India, Hynek Kmonicek, told PTI that he received an

e-mail from Kucera stating that he had left as " he had no other alternative

but to reach his country " .

 

Kmonicek said it was absolutely Kucera's personal responsibility and the

Czech embassy was ready to extend all possible help to India on this issue.

 

Kucera along with Petr Svacha, a Czech entomologist, had been arrested on

June 22 for illegally collecting beetles and insects from Singalila National

Park, about 90km from Darjeeling.

 

While both Svacha and Kucera were convicted, the entomologist was let off

with a fine of Rs 20,000. Kucera was sentenced to three years imprisonment

and a fine of Rs 60,000. However, the forester was given bail so that he

could appeal against the judgment to a higher court, in this case the

sessions court. The court of the chief judicial magistrate had, however,

said Kucera could not leave Darjeeling district without its permission.

 

Yesterday, when contacted on his friend's cellphone, Kucera had said he had

already reached the Czech Republic, but had refused to divulge the details

of how he made it there. He had said the " absurdity " of the case had

prompted him to flee. " Why (I fled).is an interesting question. There are no

human rights there. The case was absurd. How could two people involved in

the same case get two different judgments? " Kucera had said. The Czech

government has purportedly said he may not be extradited.

 

*Aktualne* has quoted a spokesperson of the Czech justice ministry, Zuzana

Kuncová, who said: " Since the sentence has not yet taken effect, they cannot

ask for his extradition. " The Czech foreign ministry does not expect that

Kucera's escape will harm the country's relations with India, according to

ministry spokeswoman Zuzana Opletalová.

 

" The Czech Republic cannot be held responsible for a decision of a single

person, who was under heavy psychological pressure, " Opletalová added.

 

Taranga Pandit, Kucera's defence lawyer, said the Czech embassy had faxed

him a letter saying that Petr Svacha was ill in Delhi. " The fax, which

arrived yesterday, authorised me to collect his passport from the court.

There was no mention of Kucera's escape, " said Pandit.

 

" The next date of hearing (on Kucera's case) in the sessions court is

November 6. In all likelihood, his bail will now be rejected, " he added.

 

 

 

 

http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=10 & theme= & usrsess=1 & id=228758

 

 

*Czech scientist flees country*

 

Statesman News Service

DARJEELING, Oct. 28: In an appalling instance of laxity on the part of the

administration, a Czech scientist Emil Kucera, charged with violating Indian

wildlife regulations, is believed to have jumped bail and fled to his

country.

Kucera, who was out on bail and fined Rs 60,000 for collecting rarer insect

species from the Singhalia National Park, is understood to have fled to the

Czech republic. His companion and famous Czech scientist Petr Syacha, who

was arrested, was let off with a fine of Rs 20,000.

Today, the hotel in which they were putting up, filed an FIR stating that

Kucera was missing since 21 October. " We had always insisted that he should

not be let out on bail given that he had visited India five times before on

three different passports. The administration is totally to blame for this " ,

said Mr A. Lepcha, the forest range officer who had arrested the Czech duo.

The forest department has conveyed the matter to the West Bengal Chief

Wildlife Warden. " What he has done proves that he is guilty of the crime.

Authorities above us will decide on our next move " , informed Ms Sumita

Ghatak DFO of the region.

The Czech scientist's passport lies seized with the court and he was not

allowed to leave Darjeeling district. It is not known if Mr Svacha collected

his passport and camera, which are in the court's custody, on 20 October.

However, both disappeared after meeting their defence lawyer Mr. Taranga

Pandit on 16 October, when Kucera went on appeal to the Sessions court

against the lower court's conviction order.

" Kucera's next hearing was fixed for 6 November but Svacha was supposed to

collect his documents from court on 20 October. When he didn't turn up I

tried to communicate with him. I later learnt from a friend who is in close

contact with the Czech embassy that he is in Delhi. A fax from the embassy

yesterday asking me to collect the documents on his behalf confirmed the

news. What Kucera has done is utter disregard of the court, " the lawyer

contended.

Police sources informed they had taken preventive action, including alerting

all border check points

 

 

 

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Czech_entomologist_jumps_bail_flees_India/art\

icleshow/3648848.cms?TOI_latestnews

Czech entomologist jumps bail, flees India

28 Oct 2008, 1334 hrs IST, PTI

SILIGURI: Czech entomologist Emil Kucera, sentenced to three years'

imprisonment for illegally collecting rare insects from a national park in

Darjeeling, has jumped bail and reached his home in Czechoslovakia, official

sources said on Tuesday.

Czech Ambassador in

India<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Czech_entomologist_jumps_bail_flees_Ind\

ia/articleshow/3648848.cms?TOI_latestnews#>Hynek

Kmonicek said over phone from New Delhi that he received an e-mail

from Kucera stating that he had left India as " he had no other alternative

but to reach his country " .

Kmonicek said that it was absolutely Kucera's personal responsibility and

the Czech embassy was ready to extend all possible help to India on this

issue.

Kucera's lawyer T K Pandit was not available for comments.

The lawyer's assistant Prakash Pradhan said, " we don't know that he has left

India. Instead we have received an e-mail from the Czech Ambassador

informing us that his fellow entomologist Petr Svacha was sick and being

treated in Delhi. "

Kucera was arrested along with Svacha on June 22 last for collecting

beetles, butterflies and moths from Singalila National Park without valid

documents.

It took a few months for their bail petitions to be heard due to the GJM

movement and lawyers ceased work in Darjeeling court.

Later, Kucera was awarded three years imprisonment and fined Rs 60,000.

Svacha was let off with a fine of Rs 20,000. Kucera, who was out on bail for

making an appeal in a higher court, was staying in a Darjeeling hotel before

his escape. His passport was in the custody of the Darjeeling chief judicial

magistrate.

 

 

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081028/jsp/siliguri/story_10027260.jsp

*Czech forester flees without passport*

OUR CORRESPONDENT Petr Svacha and Emil Kucera (right)

 

*Darjeeling, Oct. 27:* The Czech national, who had been sentenced to three

years of imprisonment for collecting beetles from a national park, has fled

the country without his passport.

 

A court order prevents him from leaving even Darjeeling district till the

case is disposed off. Emil Kucera, who was out on bail so that he could

appeal to a higher court, told *The Telegraph *over the phone from the Czech

Republic that the " absurdity " of the case had prompted him to flee.

 

" Yes, I am in the Czech Republic now, " the Czech forester said after he was

tracked down on one of his close friend's cellphone. " Why (I fled)…is an

interesting question. There are no human rights there. The case was absurd.

How could two people involved in the same case get two different judgments? "

 

 

Questions have arisen as how the Czech forester crossed the border as his

passport is still in the court's possession. There is a possibility that he

had probably used the Nepal route, as the border there is porous. Earlier,

it had come to light that he had used three different passports to enter

India during his five visits between 1999 and 2008.

 

Along with entomologist Petr Svacha, Kucera had been arrested on June 22 for

collecting beetles from Singalila National Park, about 90km from here,

without valid documents. While Svacha was let off with a fine of Rs 20,000

and was described as a " victim of circumstances " by the chief judicial

magistrate, Kucera was awarded three years imprisonment and a fine of Rs

60,000.

 

Kucera's lawyer T.K. Pandit said he was unaware of the development. " If he

has already left the country, it is most unfair. Two of my juniors who were

his guarantors will now have to pay Rs 6,000 to the court as fine. They had

last met Kucera on October 16…. "

 

Vladislav Malý, the president of Czech Entomological Society, also emailed a

letter to *The Telegraph* confirming that Kucera had reached Czech Republic

(his exact location has not been revealed). A statement from Kucera, on the

lines of what he said over the phone, has been attached to the mail. " With

regard to the fact that I have had the feeling of not getting right for just

court in Darjeeling I have decided to solve that difficult situation by my

leaving. Nowadays I am in the Czech Republic (sic), " the statement reads.

 

Kucera has also apologised to the ministry of foreign affairs of his country

and the Czech Embassy in India for the problems they might face because of

his decision.

 

" He had appealed to the sessions court against the judgement of the CJM and

his next date of hearing was scheduled for November 6…A warrant can be

issued by the court and the help of Interpol could be taken to bring him

back to India, " said Pandit.

 

Kucera and Svacha had shifted to a new hotel on October 12 after staying in

another for three-and-a-half months. " They were on a daily rent of Rs 400.

On October 21, Svacha left our hotel and the next day Kucera said he was

going to Kurseong. He did not take any of his belongings (two bags) and we

thought he would be return, " said a hotel employee.

 

The hotel will file a general dairy with the Sadar police station, stating

that Kucera has not yet returned. Kucera had cleared his hotel bills till

October 23.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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