- (1.) The applicant Mumtaj has applied for bail for offences under Section 49(B)/51 Wild Life Protection Act, 1972 (Van Jeejv Sanrakshan Adhiniyam), under Section 10/15 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and Sections 429 and 411, I.P.C.
(2.) I have heard Sri G.S. Chaturvedi, Senior Advocate for the applicant and Sri Girdhar Nath, learned counsel for the C.B.I. and Sri A.K. Tripathi, learned Standing Counsel for Wild Life Protection Society, New Delhi.
(3.) According to the prosecution, on 11-1-2000 the houses of Shabbir and Wahid were searched by a police party headed by C.O. Fatehpur, Shabbir and Wahid were, however, not available. Accused Mohammad Ramjan, Mumtaj Ahmad (applicant), Hamid Ali and Smt. Jiabun Nishan were found in the house. On search more than 400 skins of wild animals, hundreds of teeth and thousands of nails and other precious parts of the body were recovered from their houses. Apart from this, guns were also recovered, which were kept for use for hunting the wild animals. Instruments and machines for taking out and drying the skins and other parts of the body were also recovered. According to the prosecution, the price of the articles recovered is crores of rupees and it is alleged in the affidavit field by Sri Nikhil Gupta, Inspector C.B.I. that the seizure was one of the biggest hauls of wild life skins/products of recent times and pertains to trade of each and every part of wild life animals.;