Man Gets Three Years' RI For Sand Boa Smuggling In Bhopal

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): District and Sessions Court, Bhopal, on Monday convicted a man and awarded three years' rigorous imprisonment in connection with Sand Boa smuggling.

ADJ Sachin Jain, 23rd Additional Sessions Judge, delivered the judgment sentencing Prateek Singh Bohra, who was involved in wildlife smuggling, to three years' rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 2,000.

The sentence was imposed under Section 51(1) of the Wildlife Protection Act and Section 120-B of the IPC. Special public prosecutors Aqil Ahmed Khan and Sudhavijay Singh Bhadauria represented the state in the case.

On January 7, 2016, the STF police station in Bhopal received a tip-off from an informant that some individuals were near Gulmohar in a black Safari vehicle with the intention of selling a two-headed snake (Sand Boa).

Acting on the information, STF personnel, accompanied by a forester and a forest guard from the Forest Department, visited the location specified by the informant to verify the report.

They spotted a suspicious black Safari vehicle (registration No. MP 04 CN 8442) parked there with five occupants inside. The individuals identified themselves as Aman alias Honey, Lokesh alias Malik, Vijay alias Vijju, Prateek Bohra and Brajesh Patel.

They were found carrying a bag. Inside a zippered compartment of the bag, a two-headed snake (Sand Boa) was found.

The snake was dark brown, measured 114 cm in length and 12 cm in thickness, and weighed about 2 kg.

The STF registered a case under Sections 3, 39 and 48A of the Wildlife Protection Act. The case was investigated under Sections 51(1), 52 and 57 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.