Action initiated against Kannada filmstars, godmen for wearing tiger claw pendants

Subject: Environment

Section: Environmental legislation

Context:

Authorities in Karnataka have initiated action against four Kannada film actors and two self-proclaimed godmen who have openly flouted the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 by wearing tiger claw lockets around their necks.

Details:

Following the directions, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest has passed orders to take action against the violators.
Harvesting body parts of a tiger or any wild animal for vanity, whether from the carcass of the animal or hunting it for wildlife trade, is treated equally under the law.
The investigating agencies must trace out the incidences of hunting wildlife for commercial gains, harvesting the body parts of the wild animals, processing them, transporting them, and trading them.

Section 39 of WPA 1972:

Any person who obtains, by any means, the possession of Government property (including wildlife or any part of it), shall, within forty-eight hours from obtaining such possession, make a report as to the obtaining of such possession to the nearest police station or the authorised officer and shall, if so required, hand over such property to the officer-in-charge of such police station or such authorised officer, as the case may be.
No person shall, without the previous permission in writing of the Chief WildLife Warden or the authorised officer–
- acquire or keep in his possession, custody or control, or
- transfer to any person, whether by way of gift, sale or otherwise, or
- destroy or damage, such Government property.
The imprisonment can be three years minimum, extendable up to seven years, and a fine of Rs 25,000.
If body parts like pelts, claws, or, for that matter, even a single strand or hair is harvested from the carcass of an animal or from an animal hunted down for harvesting of body parts, the amount of fine levied is similar.
The burden of proof falls on the defendant and not the prosecution. The defendant has to prove that s/he is not in possession of a wildlife item.

Source: DownToEarth