Security forces personnel cannot ignore wildlife crime while on security job: judge

Police, border guards, paramilitary forces and Army require coordinated efforts with other stakeholders to check such crime, says Gauhati High Court’s acting Chief Justice

Security forces personnel cannot ignore wildlife crime even though their principal duty is to ensure security of the area they are deployed in, the officiating Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court has said.

A Sashastra Seema Bal jawan posted on the frontier cannot overlook any attempt to smuggle out precious wildlife or wildlife parts from the country even though his or her principal duty is to guard the frontier.

“Same is the case with the Army and other paramilitary forces who are expected to play a contributory role in helping forest and police personnel in preventing wildlife crimes,” Justice N. Kotiswar Singh said.

This was because the fundamental duties as enshrined in the Constitution of India required all the citizens to protect the natural environment, forest, water bodies and wildlife, he added.

“Prevention and mitigation of wildlife crimes that have acquired an alarming proportional all over the globe, require multifaceted and coordinated efforts among various stakeholders including forest personnel, police, border guards, paramilitary forces, Army and other agencies concerned,” he said at a sensitisation workshop on wildlife crimes in western Assam’s Bongaigaon last week.

The workshop was organised by the Assam State Legal Services Authority and Aaranyak, an Assam-based biodiversity conservation organisation.

Chief Justice Singh underlined some fine points that “must not be overlooked while apprehending a wildlife criminal or making seizures” important in cases related to wildlife crimes.