Assam: Judge flags fine points in investigation into wildlife crime to ensure better conviction

GUWAHATI-    A well-attended workshop on “wildlife crime scenarios and its various dimensions”  organised for officials from judicial services, forest department, police department in Morigaon district, underlined the need for sustained synergy among various agencies in combating the wildlife offences.

The workshop was organised by Aaranyak in association with the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) of Morigaon and District Police of Morigaon in the conference hall of office of Morigaon Superintendent of Police on Sunday.

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Judicial officers from District Legal Services Authority of Morigaon district including the District and Sessions Judge, Chief Judicial Magistrate, the District Commissioner, Superintendent of Police (SP), Additional SP and other senior police officials including all the Officer In Charges of police stations in Morigaon districts, three forest Range Officers of the district including the Range Officer of Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary participated in the workshop along with seven forester and forest guards. The SP Morigaon Hemanta Das welcomed the participants and explained objective of the workshop.

District and Sessions Judge of Morigaon, Nayan Shankar Baruah while addressing the workshop, explained in detail the procedure to be followed by the investigating officers while conducting investigation into  wildlife crimes under the provisions of Wildlife (Protection) Act. He explained fine points regarding effective submission of wildlife crime offence report, complaint  petition etc., before the court of law in addition to due importance that is required to be given in preparing a seizure list.

The Secretary General  and CEO of Aaranyak  Dr Bibhab Kumar Talukdar who is also the Chair of Asian Rhino Specialist Group of Species Survival Commission of IUCN and Senior Advisor to International Rhino Foundation, presented an overall wildlife conservation scenarios on global as well as local perspective emphasizing on sustained synergy among all agencies concerned in combating burgeoning wildlife crime to help conservation efforts across the globe.

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Lauding the achievement of ‘zero rhino poaching’ in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Morigaon district since 2014, Talukdar said it has been possible because of tremendous coordination among officials of the police, forest civil administration in the district. He stressed the need to continue the existing team spirit in Morigaon district to secure the future of rhinos in Pobitora WLS.

The District Commissioner of Morigaon, Devashish Sharma while lauding the substantive workshop on wildlife crime and its various dimensions stated that such workshops, besides being enlightening experience to the participants from various departments, are in tune with the efforts for bringing about convergence among various government departments  to  give a fillip to the  administrative delivery system.

Additional Superintendent of Police, Dhrubajyoti Nath who was earlier holding the post of Additional SP of the Special Task Force  (STF) in Kaziranga, shared his practical experiences in tackling wildlife crime for the benefit of the participants.

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The workshop was marked by an engrossing session on sharing of experiences and challenges faced by police and forest officials in investigating wildlife crime cases and they were advised and guided by the District and Sessions Judge on case-to-case basis.

The SP of Morigaon, Hemanta Kumar Nath hoped that the workshop would go a long way in enlightening the investigating officers from both Forest and Police department in follow the proper procedure in carrying out systematic investigation into wildlife crimes to facilitate conviction of the accused in the court of law.

He said that the police department in the district is always ready to extend helping hand to investigating officers from Forest Department in wildlife crime cases. He also appreciated the CEO of Aaranyak Dr Bibhab Kumar Talukdar for giving a real picture of alarming wildlife crime scenarios across the globe and expressed gratitude to all judicial officers for their presence in the workshop.