Our survival depends on tigers’ survival: HC

Nagpur: In a huge victory for the forest department, the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court on Monday quashed and set aside Amravati sessions court order to suspend sentence of dreaded tiger poacher Bhajan Hotel Dhurve. Bhajan is an expert in killing tigers and operated in forests of Vidarbha. He is also a middle man between poachers and traders. He had conspired to kill a tiger with other poachers inside Melghat tiger reserve (MTR) and is also wanted in poaching of leopard in Ghatang in Melghat. Bhajan and his accomplice Shiri were caught by Melghat cyber cell officials dramatically after a hot chase. They were convicted by Amravati additional chief judicial magistrate SB Mane on January 29, 2016, for poaching tiger in Dhakna in MTR in 2013. However, Bhajan filed an application for suspension of sentence. Amravati principal district judge PK Chavan allowed the application. Forest department challenged the order in Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court. On Monday, when the matter came up for hearing before Justice ZA Haq, he sought to know the grounds of Bhajan’s conviction by Amravati court. Special counsel for the forest department Kartik Shukul said prosecution had confession of accused and call detail records (CDRs), besides Bhajan had also shown the spot of transaction. Shukul argued Bhajan was a vital link in the illegal syndicate. However, counsel for accused Sapna Jadhav told the court that there was no evidence against Bhajan and hence the Amravati court had suspended the sentence. Justice Haq then the prosecution had CDR, which is a piece of evidence. “Tiger poaching is serious crime and our survival depends on survival of tigers,” Justice Haq said. The court set aside and quashed the order of Amravati principal sessions judge Chavan suspending the sentence of Bhajan stating it was not maintainable in law. The Amravati court had ignored the gravity of offence, the high court observed. Bhajan is at present lodged in Amravati Central Jail. Earlier, Justice SB Shukre had cancelled the bail of notorious tiger traders Suraj Pal alias Chacha and Naresh Lala terming tiger poaching a serious crime. Bhajan had played a key role as mediator and helped notorious tiger skin trader Ranjit Bhatia poach a tiger in MTR. “Releasing poachers like Bhajan will sound death knell for tigers as they have no job other than killing tigers. They also know the channel to traffic the skins and other parts to Nepal and China,” said a wildlife expert. Recently, tiger poacher Kuttu escaped from police custody near Sakoli. Earlier, woman poacher Minar jumped off a running train to escape but was caught after getting hurt. In 2009, poacher Keru was wanted in tiger skin seizure by CBI but never turned up after getting bail. Ranjit too had jumped bail but was again found involved in poaching.