Notorious poacher roams free despite cancellation of bail; Supreme Court initiates inquiry

New Delhi, October 23, 2010: Issuing directions for the arrest of noted poacher Juhru, the Supreme Court of India yesterday initiated an inquiry on non-communication of its recent order cancelling the accused’s bail to authorities in the Indian state of Rajasthan.

Juhru, accused in 14 wildlife crime cases including six involving tiger poaching in Sariska Tiger Reserve, had earlier got a bail from the Apex Court based on false information.

Convicted in two cases of leopard poaching and sentenced to two consecutive terms of five years’ imprisonment by courts in Rajasthan, Juhru had approached the SC for bail.

“Based on a misleading statement that he (Juhru) had spent four and half years of the five-year handed out to him, he got the bail,” said Saurabh Sharma, Wildlife Trust of India lawyer assisting the Sariska Tiger Reserve authorities in the case. “In fact, he has spent only 20 months in prison of his actual 10-year term.”

Let out in the first week of September, the Supreme Court cancelled his bail when the facts were brought to its notice. However, the authorities in Alwar jail continued to maintain that Juhru was on bail, as the SC order had failed to reach them.

Last week, Government Counsel Prashant Bhagwati pointed out that the latest order had not been executed, prompting the Supreme Court to summon Alwar jail Superintendent to the hearing yesterday.

While the authorities were issued directions to arrest Juhru, the Supreme Court has also directed its Registrar to enquire as to why its order recalling the bail was not communicated to the jail authorities.  Unlike Sansar Chand and Shabbir Hasan Qureshi who are essentially wildlife traders, Juhru is a noted poacher involved in hunting protected wildlife as well as illegal trade, operating from Sariska. He had been convicted in two cases of leopard poaching on January 13 and March 23 last year. In addition to the tiger poaching cases currently pending against him, he is also accused in several cases of sambar deer poaching.