Staff Reporter
— Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy
Mahindra Singh Kachhawa
BANGALORE: “Salman Khan will face the consequence of poaching wild animals.” These are the words of Mahendra Singh Kachhawa, Special Public Prosecutor in the five cases registered against the actor.
“We have solid evidence against the actor,” said the advocate for Rajasthan, whose services are hired by investigating agencies throughout the country in relation to wildlife crime.
Of the five cases dealt by Mr. Kachhawa, two have ended up in conviction. This includes the present case wherein the actor was convicted for poaching two chinkaras at the Ujiyala Bhakhar near Ghoda Farm in 1998. The Rajasthan High Court granted him bail on Friday.
Mr. Kachhawa was in the city on Friday in connection with the investigation by the State police into the possible involvement of Hakkipikki tribes in poaching lions in Gir Sanctuary. He is the prosecutor in the case involving notorious wildlife trader Sansarchad in which one of the accused, E.P. Singh, hails from Channagiri taluk of Davangere district.
Passion
Protection of animals, more so the wild, has been a passion for Mr. Kachhawa, who hails from Choutka Barwara, which is near Ranathambore National Park. He has a doctorate in wildlife studies.
He was moved to take up the cause of animals after seeing a rabbit being shot by a driver in 1990. “I cannot forget the sight of rabbit which looked at me as if it was crying for help.”
Source:
http://www.hindu.com/2007/09/02/stories/2007090255100500.htm
1 comment:
The case presented by the State from the legal point is absurd in its lack of evidence.
Alleged “blood stains” in the car - a) the car was a rental, so anyone could have left them;
b) they were never tested, so we don’t know how old they were or even what animal or man they belonged to.
Where is the knife used to cut the throat of the animal? Where is the bloodied clothes he wore? Neither were retrieved, though his room was searched immediately.
They confiscated his gun and it was held for four years, but ballistics were never done, why?
There were six in a group; others were let go off for lack of evidence. The same evidence strong enough to convict him (to five years of rigorous imprisonment that includes heavy labour!), was not strong enough to prove aiding accusation against others?
Then there is the driver who first denied any incident, then - after an alleged visit from government people - he remembered everything, then after his fathers death he again said he didn’t see anything. A perjury case was raised against him, defence lawyers were denied the right to cross-examine him(!!!), but the judge nonetheless based his ruling almost solely on that testimony.
Mr. Kachhawa should look "solid evidence" in the dictionary.
I am so tired of this trashy celebrity wannabes, who lacking any talent, latch on to marginally talented celebrities for their fifteen minutes in the spotlight.
And in this case who suffers the most are the animals, because while genuanie activists are forced into spending time defending basic human rights, of the likes of Mr. Khan, animals are getting killed in thousands, annually, by criminal poachers who do it for profit.
How many cases has Mahendra Singh Kachhawa argued against such people?
People who buy their way out, people who if you go after them harm your family, and most importantly, people who dont get you in the papers.
Of course such draconian prosecution of Salman Khan would have nothing to do with the fact that he is the most popular celebrity and a Muslim in a state ran by Hindu nationalists. Not even a little, right.
The first judge in his ruling clearly stated, in two whole paragraphs, that his verdict and especially severity of the punishment was based solely on Khans social status (we all assume celebrities are guilty before trial and in sentencing they are treated more harshly to prove a point).
I suggest Mr. Kachhawa applies for Big Brother or some equally stupid show where wannabe trash like him belongs.
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