Hunting Leopard A Severe Offence: Madhya Pradesh High Court Denies Bail
The accused had filed a bail plea, seeking relief from charges under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has dismissed the bail application of a man accused of leopard hunting under the Wildlife Protection Act, citing the gravity of the offence.
The accused had filed a bail plea, seeking relief from charges under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act, including those related to hunting and penalties for such offences.
A Bench of Justice Devnarayan Mishra held, “I have gone through the post-mortem report of leopard. In the postmortem report, it has been clearly mentioned that the leopard died due to electric current. Remains of quills of porcupine were found in the place of incident i.e. in the house of applicant. From the spot map, it is found that electric line has been passed and as per the prosecution case, the applicant after fixing the small woods in a pattern, G.I. Cable was rolled in them and electric current was supplied and when the leopard came in the contact of that trap, leopard died. Looking to the facts and severity of the offence the Court is not inclined to grant bail to the applicant.”
Advocate Mohit Chouriya appeared for the Applicant and Advocate Kshipra Gupta appeared for the Respondent.
According to the prosecution, the accused had set up a trap by fixing small woods in a specific pattern and winding a G.I. cable around them, through which electric current was supplied. When the leopard came into contact with the trap, it was electrocuted and died.
The Court added, “Thus, looking to the facts and severity of the offence the Court is not inclined to grant bail to the applicant.”
After considering all the facts, including the post-mortem findings and the nature of the crime, the Court concluded that a "grievous offence" had been committed and dismissed the bail plea.
Cause Title: Munim Singh Gond v. The State of Madhya Pradesh, [2025:MPHC-JBP:3253]
