Karnataka HC emphasises need for swift conclusion of Wildlife Protection Act cases

The Karnataka High Court has emphasised the need for expeditious trials in cases under the Wildlife Protection Act, expressing concern over lengthy delays in bringing offenders to justice.

A single judge bench of Justice M Nagaprasanna made this observation while rejecting a petition by Abdul Rehman and others, who faced charges for killing a spotted deer in the Bandipur forest in 2008.

Despite 16 years having passed, the trial against the accused is still ongoing.

The court criticised the prolonged proceedings, stating: “Why such a long time? Why do you take 16 years to conclude a forest offence? This is not correct if you book under the Forest Act for killing a deer in 2008 and it is still being tried in 2024. What is this?” The bench attributed the delay to the accused evading court appearances, leading to repeated adjournments. Rehman and his co-accused had sought quashing of the proceedings, arguing that they faced “double jeopardy”, as a separate case related to the illegal possession of meat and unlicensed arms was filed against them in Kerala.

The court dismissed this argument, noting that the deer was killed in Karnataka, where the Wildlife Protection Act applies. The case in Kerala, involving the seizure of 35 kg of deer meat and weapons, falls under the Arms Act.

The bench refused to grant any relief to the petitioners, citing their repeated attempts to evade trial, and ordered the lower court to conclude the case within 12 weeks.