Hog Deer Poacher Convicted, Gets 7-year Imprisonment

A Correspondent

TINSUKIA: In a remarkable and perhaps unprecedented move by Tinsukia judiciary, a poacher has been convicted for hunting and killing an endangered female hog deer (Axis Porcinus) protected under Schedule I of Wild Life Protection Act 1972, weighing 45 kg, . The Additional Session Judge-2 (FTC) Md Abdul Hakim sentenced Ashik Baruah of Uparlaopani under Sadiya Police district’s Saikhowa Ghat PS to undergo simple imprisonment of 7 years and a fine of Rs 50,000 and in default simple imprisonment for 1 year u/s 51(1) of Wild Life Protection Act, 1972. The judgment was delivered on October 3.

The conviction having far reaching consequences in wildlife arena with a message of warning to wildlife criminals, the prosecution case in brief mentioned that a person was caught while carrying a dead body of a Hog Deer on a scooty by Mridul Sonowal and Mohan Burathogi, two police constables of 20 IR Battalion engaged in security duty at Dhola-Sadiya Bridge on March 18, 2018. On interrogation at Saikhowa PS, he revealed the name of Ashik Baruah who hunted and killed the deer; he was arrested the following day. Though the case was initially tried at SDJM Sadiya Chapakhowa, it was later transferred to the court of Additional Session Judge-2 (FTC), Tinsukia. The prosecution examined 9 witnesses in support of its case while defence has examined 2 witnesses on his behalf.

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