Latest news with #Wildlife(Protection)AmendmentAct
NDTV
23-05-2025
- NDTV
Actor Darshan Summoned By Karnataka Court Over Illegal Possession Of Bar-Headed Geese
Bengaluru: A local court in T. Narasipura issued summons on Friday to Kannada actor Darshan and his wife Vijayalaxmi, directing them to appear before the court in connection with the illegal possession of four bar-headed geese at their farmhouse. The bar-headed goose is a rare migratory bird native to the Middle East. The court has ordered Darshan, his wife Vijayalaxmi, and their farmhouse manager to appear in person on July 4. Forest authorities discovered the prohibited birds at Darshan's farmhouse at Kempaiahna Hundi near Mysuru city. In 2023, following the viral video of Darshan with birds, a raid was conducted at the actor's farmhouse. It led to the seizure of four bar-headed geese. The Forest Department alleged that Darshan was in illegal possession of the birds. A case was registered, and a charge sheet was submitted to the court against Darshan and others. There have also been reports of other incidents linked to the farmhouse, including the death of Darshan's manager Sridhar and the actor's visit to the premises after being granted bail in the Renukaswamy murder case. Earlier, a video of Darshan playing with the rare birds went viral on social media. Authorities noted that the actor had admitted in an interview to having bar-headed geese at his farmhouse, and had even shown the caged birds to the interviewer. The Forest Department filed a case under Sections 9, 39, and 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022. If guilty, the accused could face up to three years of imprisonment. During the raid, authorities also found a variety of imported foreign birds. Darshan was asked to submit ownership certificates, as the law permits keeping certain other bird species with proper documentation. The seized birds were produced before the Magistrate and subsequently released into the forest. Darshan, who is also an accused in the murder of his fan Renukaswamy, is known for his affection towards animals and birds. He is currently out on conditional bail in the murder case. The prosecution has challenged the grant of bail in the Supreme Court.
Hindustan Times
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Ghaziabad: 2 residents move Allahabad high court over human-monkey conflict
Ghaziabad: Two residents of Ghaziabad have moved the Allahabad high court in a public interest litigation (PIL) to highlight the issue of human-monkey conflict due to an alleged uncontrolled, and exponential rise of monkey population in the city. The petition has sought directions with respect to relocation/rescue of monkeys to forests/forest-like areas in vicinity in a time-bound manner. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo) The PIL, according to the high court's cause list, was listed for hearing at the Allahabad high court on Tuesday, and further directions are awaited. The petition that identifies 12 respondents, including the Ghaziabad district magistrate, was filed by Raj Nagar residents Vineet Sharma, a social activist, and Prajakta Singhal, a BTech student. 'The petition raises the issue of health and safety risk to residents, especially the persons with disabilities, senior citizens, women, and children who are vulnerable and unable to defend themselves against any aggression or attack by the monkeys in residential areas. The residents also face damage to household items, vegetation, plants, and other items during aggression by monkeys. Different agencies have basically failed to address the issues,' said Sharma. The plea has also referred a June 25, 2016 report of the Hindustan Times, titled, 'More monkeys in urban areas of Ghaziabad than rural parts' that talked of the presence of 5,341 sightings of monkeys during a census conducted by the forest department in 2016, and reported 1,683 sightings of monkeys (Macaca speciosa) in the rural area of Modi Nagar and 3,658 in the urban, Ghaziabad range. The petition has also listed the affected areas including Raj Nagar, Kavi Nagar, Vaishali, Vasundhara, Shastri Nagar, Kamla Nehru Nagar, Govindpuram, Avantika, Chiranjeev Vihar, Vivekanand Nagar, Nehru Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Navyug Market, Bajaria, Vijay Nagar, Patel Nagar (I and II), Lohia Nagar, Arya Nagar, Nand Gram, Sahibabad, Brij Vihar, Surya Nagar, Shyam Park, Lajpat Nagar, Rajendra Nagar, Shalimar Garden, Kaushambi, Raj Nagar Extension, Loni, Murad Nagar, Modi Nagar and Khoda. The petition contends that there are about 55,000 monkeys in Ghaziabad and the number is on the rise. It added that monkey (Rhesus macaque) was delisted/denotified as a wild animal via a notification dated December 19, 2022, of the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, and no census was constituted thereafter. The petition has sought directions with respect to relocation/rescue of monkeys to forests/forest-like areas in vicinity in a time-bound manner; drawing of a plan for afforestation, with primary focus on fruit-bearing trees, along river Hindon and other stretches; to arrange/provide for adequate feed/food for monkeys and set up adequate number of modern infirmaries and veterinary health-care centres/hospitals with latest equipment and well-trained manpower. When contacted about filing the petition, officials of the Ghaziabad district administration said that they were seeking clear directions after the monkey was denotified as a wild animal. Officials aware of the development said that the local bodies do not have clear directions to act in such circumstances, while the forest department has issued a circular that the local bodies will look after the issue. 'I have asked different departments to assess the situation and take required measures in this regard. As of now, there is also no survey of monkeys at present to assess the number of monkeys. We are working in this regard,' said district magistrate Deepak Meena.
