VIJAY DEO JHA
Ranchi, June 16: Courtesy law and its loopholes: powerbroker Prem Prakash can heave a sigh of relief for possessing an exotic and non-native Red Slider turtle. The Customs and forest department expressed their inability to act as the matter doesn’t fall in their jurisdiction.
The customs department has informed the state forest department that the Red Slider turtle is not listed in the endangered species list of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CTESWFF) hence the customs department can’t initiate any inquiry and prosecution.
The interesting fact is that both the forest department and the customs department agree that the Red Slider turtle found in the house of Prem Prakash must have been smuggled. This is because turtles of this species are not found in India. It is found in America.
But there is no clarification either from the forest and customs department that which law agency is empowered to take action against Prem Prakash for keeping an exotic and non-native turtle.
On May 25, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided the house of Prem Prakash in Ranchi in connection with the money-laundering investigation where the ED officials found the turtle. The ED informed the forest department and handed over the turtle.
“We examined and found it was a turtle of the Red Slider species and this is not found in India. It means that this is an exotic, non-native animal that was smuggled inside India. Since it was a straight case of smuggling of an animal, we referred the matter to the customs department. But the customs department has said that the Red Slider turtle is not listed in CTESWFF hence they can’t proceed,” said a senior official of the forest department.
When asked whether the forest department can lodge an FIR if the customs department refused, the official said that the forest department can’t do this since the said Red Slider turtle is not listed in the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
Currently, the turtle has been kept at the Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park at Ormanjhi. “The turtle was handed over to us about eight days back and it has been kept in quarantine. Nothing unusual has been found in the turtle so far. We feed spinach and other recommended animal food and nobody is allowed to see the turtle. There are two attendants to take care of that turtle,” said a senior official of the park.
