Five leopards killed by poisoning, accused denied bail

First such rare case in Maharashtra

Aurangabad, March 17:

The regular bail application of Dnyaneshwar Nandlal Pardeshi (Pimpri Malegaon, Soygaon) accused of killing 5 leopards by poisoning was scrapped by sessions Judge Dr MS Deshpande on Thursday. This is the first rare case in Maharashtra of Leopard killing.

Farmer Dnyaneshwar Pardeshi's goat kid was killed by a leopard in Jarandi Shivar. He had told this to his uncle Babusingh Ratan Pardeshi. The two of them had poisoned the dead goat. A preliminary autopsy report revealed that a male leopard had died of poisoning on February 23 and a female leopard on February 25 after eating the goat's flesh. Also, during the autopsy, 3 full grown leopard foetuses were found in the uterus of a female leopard. A case was registered under the Wildlife Conservation Act regarding the death of a total of 5 leopards due to poisoning.

Opposition to bail application

Opposing Dnyaneshwar's bail application, assistant public prosecutor Raju S Pahadia pointed out to the court that the leopard is a wild animal listed in Schedule 1. According to the provisions of the Wildlife Act, illegal hunting of wild animals in Schedule 1 carries a penalty of 3 to 7 years and a fine of up to Rs. 10,000. This crime is non-bailable. The Supreme Court has also highlighted the importance of wildlife in the human ecosystem. He therefore requested that the accused not be granted bail.