Wildlife in India won't be safe if Sansar Chand is out: Activist

The Times of India , Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Correspondent :
NEW DELHI: An activist said of the most notorious wildlife crime kingpin in the country that while Sansar Chand may have been responsible for wiping out the tiger population in Sariska, he has probably never killed a fly himself.

On June 29, 2005, Sansar Chand was apprehended by Delhi Police after a massive hunt. He has been behind bars ever since with his work being carried out by his family. In September 2012, his wife, Rani, was convicted under the Wildlife Protection Act and sentenced to seven years in prison.

With Chand's release from jail more likely—a Delhi court refused to slap the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act on him—activists feel India's wildlife could be in serious trouble.

Lawyers will approach court again as several cases are pending against him, sources said. The Wildlife Trust of India vice-chairman, Ashok Kumar, who had been involved in pursuing Chand in his early days, said the kingpin belongs to a family that has traditionally traded in wildlife. "He belongs to the Gihara Gali tribe that has been living in Bara Tooti Chowk of Old Delhi for years," he said. Chand was born in Delhi's Sadar Bazar in 1958.

Chand might have started off by poaching but his work for the past many years has been that of a middleman in the international market. There are 57 cases of wildlife crime registered against him but lack of evidence and shoddy investigation led to his acquittal several times, even after he was caught red-handed with tiger skin. While he has been in prison, his family, including his wife, sons and daughter, has been carrying out his work. Bhima, his relative, was arrested in Gurgaon with a tiger skin and skeleton. Other raids in places as far away as Karnataka have also pointed towards his kin's involvement.

Kartick Satyanarayan, co-founder of Wildlife SOS, said, "It will be a pity if a wildlife criminal like Sansar Chand is allowed to go scot-free. Wildlife in India will not be safe with him outside prison." The Gihara Gali tribe are plastic sellers. An expert who has been following their trail said they travel in large groups. "They set up camp in villages near forests. While the women and children stay back, a few men enter the forest, set traps there and, once they catch an animal, skin and debone it on the spot," he said.

Opinions vary on the impact of his release. Some say his presence will boost illegal trade, while others feel poaching was on even in his absence, so his release will make little difference.

Belinda Wright, executive director of Wildlife Society of India, said, "The CBI has been pressing for a MCOCA case against Chand. It remains to be seen if they will appeal in Delhi high court against Tuesday's decision. What's concerning is the fact that, although he has been in jail since 2005, he has already been acquitted in a number of cases."

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Wildlife-in-India-wont-be-safe-if-Sansar-Chand-is-out-Activist/articleshow/21111903.cms
 


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