New Delhi, May 31: Notorious poacher and wildlife smuggler Sansar Chand, often termed as “the Veerapan of North India” was today granted bail by a Delhi court in a 2005 case, involving violation of the Wildlife Act.
Additional Sessions Judge Pawan Kumar Jain granted bail to Sansar Chand, who is currently lodged in a Jaipur jail in Rajasthan for various other wildlife offences.
Chand was arrested in June 2005 by Delhi Police from Paharganj area here after which the CBI had taken him in the custody.
During his interrogation, Chand had provided several clues to the CBI and also pointed at the existence of an organised crime syndicate engaged in a large-scale operation across various wildlife sanctuaries across the country.
The agency subsequently in 2005 had chargesheeted him under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), a first against any wildlife criminal.
Sansar Chand was granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 25,000 and one surety of the same amount. He, however, would not be out of jail owing to several other cases pending against him in other courts.
He is an accused in numerous cases under the Wildlife Protection Act for poaching of tigers in the Sariska tiger reserve.
The ASJ granted bail to him after his counsel Pramod Dubey submitted that he has been in jail for over six years while the maximum punishment under the Wildlife Act itself is seven years.
His bail plea was opposed by the CBI on the ground that he has been charged under MCOCA. The court, however, said mere pendency of MCOCA case cannot be a ground for denying bail.
Besides Chand, others who were chargesheeted by the CBI were Sudesh Kumar, Babu, Badal and Ritu.
While under the Wildlife Protection Act (1972), maximum punishment for poaching does not exceed seven years, conviction under MCOCA may entail life imprisonment.
