Mumbai, June 5: THE prosecution in the shahtoosh case—Sahil Zaroo is wanted in the case—on May 15 had filed an application in the Sessions Court for cancellation of bail granted to his uncle and an employee. The matter will be now be heard on June 8.
The prosecution asked for the cancellation of bail on the ground that the magistrate had not taken into consideration the seriousness of the offence.
On March 8, Regional Deputy Director, Wildlife Preservation of Western Region and Assistant Management Authority (Cities) Meeta Banerjee received a tip-off and conducted a raid on Sahil’s family handicraft shop at Hotel Hilton Towers on March 13.
The officials found three shahtoosh shawls valued at around Rs 2 lakh and questioned shop owner Rafique Ahmed Gulam Mohammed owner—Sahil’s uncle— as poaching and selling of endangered species under the Wildlife Protection Act, which includes shahtoosh deer, is an offence under the Act.
While Mohammed was being questioned by Banerjee, employee Ilyas Aziz Khan entered the shop and grabbed the plastic bag which contained the seized shahtoosh shawls and gave it to Sahil, who escaped from the spot.
Banerjee immediately contacted the police control room and the Marine Drive police arrested Khan and Mohammed and booked them for thwarting a public servant, theft and conspiracy. But Sahil managed to give the slip.
The next day, the duo was produced in the Esplanade Court and a remand application showing Sahil as a wanted accused was presented to the court.
The magistrate granted them bail on the same day and Sahil too got an anticipatory bail from a Sessions Court on the grounds that he had to give his exams.
But in May his bail was cancelled.
