Bhubaneswar, Oct 1: The Court of Judicial Magistrate First Class in Harabhanga of Boudh district has sentenced a person to three years of rigorous imprisonment and fined him Rs 10,000 for trading in leopard skin.
Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Crime Branch here on Tuesday said the court convicted one Goutam Behera of Nuasahi village, under Phulbani Sadar Police station of Kandhamal district under the Wildlife (Protection) Act,1972 on Monday.
Behera was apprehended by the STF on January 20, 2024, near Ranipathar village while waiting to deliver the leopard skin to a customer.
After a successful investigation, a chargesheet was submitted against the accused.
The investigation confirmed the authenticity of the leopard skin through the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.
A trial was conducted against the accused and during the trial, the prosecution examined 11 witnesses and exhibited 9 documents.
This case marks the ninth conviction under the Wildlife Protection Act by the STF, which has maintained a 100% conviction rate in wildlife cases, significantly higher than the national average of less than 5%.
