Assam Forest Department & Police to constitute team of special investigators

TACKLING WILDLIFE CRIMES

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The State Forest Department and the Assam Police will form a special team of investigators to probe wildlife crimes.

"Unless and until the Forest and the Police personnel are specifically and specially trained, it will be very difficult to effectively deal with wildlife crimes. We will constitute a special team of investigators," said a source in the Forest department.

The move to constitute the special team has gathered momentum after the senior-most Judge of the Gauhati High Court, Justice N. Kotiswar Singh last month emphasized the urgent need of having a specialized team of wildlife crimes investigators.

Justice Singh, who is also the Executive Chairman of the Assam State Legal Services Authority (ASLSA), said that it is indeed very difficult to deal with wildlife crimes given the fact that both the Police and the Forest personnel are not given any specific training to tackle such cases.

"Most cases related to wildlife crimes must be convincingly supported by seizures (as in cases under the NDPS Act) in the Court of law to ensure adequate punishment to the guilty persons. Hence, there is the need for having specialized teams of wildlife crimes investigators in the Police force as well as among the Forest officials," said Justice Singh while addressing a consultation on wildlife conservation organized at Kaziranga National Park on January 17, 2021.

Sources said that it is of prime importance for the Forest Department to facilitate the proper maintenance of registers of seized items which is the most valuable evidence in wildlife crimes cases. "At present, maintenance of such items is not proper. This could be streamlined once the special team is constituted," added the source.

Also Read: Rhino horn trader held at Biswanath Wildlife Division

Also Watch: Programme held by BTC Council Despite protest by Minorities