In what has been hailed by activists as a noteworthy stride in wildlife protection in India, notorious tiger poacher Birbal, alias Totha Ram, a resident of Panipat and the leader of Bawaria poaching gang, was sentenced to three years rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of rupess 10,000 by a court at Khatima in Udham Singh Nagar on Wednesday. The case related to the recovery of a 12ft-long tiger skin from the possession of Birbal in August, 2004.
Reacting to the judgment, executive director of the Wildlife Protection Society of India Belinda Wright opined, "Conviction rate in wildlife cases are very low, sentencing of a poacher like Totha Ram will make a difference. Uttarakhand Forest Department has done a commendable job."
To put facts into perspective, Totha Ram and his local associates were arrested a joint team of the Uttarakhand Police and Forest Department on the morning of November 18, 2009 at Banbasa in Champawat, while he was out on a bail and about to kill another tiger.
A tiger trap, another half-made trap, two deer antlers, knives and skinning tools, a net, two mobile phones and a motorcycle had been recovered from them. The notorious poacher had been arrested twice earlier, in May 2003 with poaching tools, and in August 2004 with a tiger skin.
Closed inspection of the skin revealed that the animal had been shot and 16 bullet marks were found on the skin. A case under Wildlife Protection Act 1972 was registered at Khatima range.
Members of the Bawariya poaching gang are active in different parts of the county, and Totha Ram belongs to a family of poachers. Recently his sister Dilpo was convicted to five years rigorous imprisonment by a court in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, in a 1992 tiger case.
It is also reported that she had earlier been convicted in November 2005 by a court in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, for carrying the skin and bones of a tiger that was killed at Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in February 2005.
