20 Birbhum tribals held for hunting in Murshidabad

Kolkata: Twenty people have been arrested and remanded for a fortnight in judicial custody for killing four jungle cats along with other animals in Murshidabad’s Bharatpur 1 block.
The largest action against wildlife hunting in recent years came as the accused, tribals from Birbhum, embarked on a hunting expedition on the occasion of Badna Puja. They claim that they have a right to hunt and exercise the right during the hunting festivals.
But Calcutta High Court has put an embargo on ritualistic hunting of wildlife in south Bengal by its orders of 2018 and 2019.
Activist Soumyadip Mondal was the first to reach the spot on Monday evening after receiving a tip-off from a fisherman of Bharatpur 1. Mondal is from an NGO, Human & Environment Alliance League, which works on conservation of biodiversity and mitigation of human-animal conflict.
Displaying exemplary courage, he intercepted the 20-member team armed with bows, arrows and spears and called police as well as the Kandi ranger. The accused were taken to the police station, where charges were drawn up. Their bail applications were rejected and all were remanded in jail custody till February 8.
“So many people have never been arrested at one time for a wildlife offence. We hope this will serve as a stern warning to others and act as a deterrent,” Mondal said.