Five years imprisonment for 17 people in lion poaching case

26-02-2009
Five years imprisonment for 17 people in lion poaching case
The Hindu
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200902261881.htm

Ahmedabad (PTI): A Bhavnagar court on Thursday sentenced 17 people to five years of imprisonment for killing four lions from Gir wildlife sancutary in 2007.

Chief Judicial Magistrate A I Sheikh convicted 17 people including one wildlife goods trader Prabhakar Keshav Gajakosh from Karnataka for killing four lions, and imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 each.

Three cases were registered, two in Junagadh district and one in Bhavnagar for the killing of ten lions in 2007. This is third conviction for poaching lions. In October last year, 20 people were convicted in the Junagad cases.

In 2007, the forest department officials had found ten lions killed in areas surrounding Gir wildlife sancutary, which is the last abode of Asiatic Lions.

After an uproar on poaching incidents the State, Gujarat government had handed over the inquiry to state CID (Crime). The CID (Crime) in its inquiry found out that members of Bahelia tribe from Katni district of Madhya Pradesh were involved in killing of lions in Gir.