Seizure of 8 leopard skins, accused acquitted in Delhi

In February 2009 Crime Branch of Delhi police seized 5 leopard skins in Delhi and arrested two persons. On further investigations with wildlife officials, 3 more leopard skins and traps were seized from Himachal Pradesh. After the trial a court in Delhi had acquitted both the accused.

In one of the observation court noted that “More so, as per Manual on Wildlife Species in Trade, 1^st Edition prepared by Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Ministry of Environment & Forest, Government of India, there are procedural guidelines for identifying the wildlife species. Its Preface specifically provides that the agencies may note that similar and mere resemblance cannot be taken as confirmatory. Additional test like morphological, microscopic analytical and forensic tests may have to be undertaken for legal action. It is further provided in the Manual that for identifying the skin of leopard, the hair signature pattern of leopard can be identified if it is having the following pattern: color cremish brown, culticular scale pattern imbricate, medulla-Continuous, Medullary Index-0.657. Admittedly, in the present case no such test were conducted by the complainant and the above mentioned characteristics were also not proved being found on the recovered skins. The expertise of PW3 in identifying the recovered skins has not come on record. It is common knowledge that nowadays with the advent of new technologies fake skins can be prepared with the help of synthetic fibers which might be having same feel and texture as of a natural skin. In the absence of chemical analysis/forensic examination of the skins, it cannot be said with certainty that the recovered skins were of leopard. The complainant has failed to prove the same.”