Visually impaired man booked for killing rare bird, divyang for destroying nest on tree!
Nearly 4000 people in Lakhimpur Kheri villages tagged as ‘poachers’, face charges under Wildlife (Protection) Act and Indian Forest Act ; matter brought to notice of CM’s office
* Ram Bhajan, 40, has not seen the world since birth, but has been accused of killing a rare bird in the Dudhwa National Park (DNP). His brother Rajjan, 50, also specially abled, too faces similar charges slapped by the DNP administration.
* Their parents – Gulabo Devi, 70 and Kareem – in Sariyapara village of Lakhimpur have also been booked for violating the Wildlife (Protection) Act.
* Rajjan is mostly kept chained so that he does not move by himself. How would he go to the jungle...my other son is unable to see...how can he kill a bird,” lamented the elderly mother.
LUCKNOW At least 4,000 individuals from villages in Lakhimpur Kheri district have been tagged as ‘poachers’, facing serious charges slapped by the forest department under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and the Indian Forest Act. This group includes a significant number of elderly and physically challenged people, who claim they have been “unjustly” accused for opposing alleged “wrongdoings” by forest officials.
In Sariyapara alone, 375 out of the 1,300 people have similar cases against them. And this village is just one among the 7-8 Tharu dwellers’ villages in the region.
Among those affected is Hardayal, a member of the Tharu tribe who has faced difficulties walking since birth. He has been accused under the Wildlife (Protection) Act for allegedly climbing a tree and damaging a bird nest within the Dudhwa forest area..
Rambahadur, the pradhan (village head) of Sariyapara, reports having 29 cases against him. “I spent nine months in jail in 2023. I was granted bail in 26 ‘baseless’ cases, costing me lakhs of rupees, while three cases remain unresolved,” he stated.
He said, “The cases are against people who do not have vision, are unable to walk or those over 60 years of age. All this is to take revenge from villagers who opposed wrong moves of the forest staff. Once we had opposed a lathi-charge on a villager and that is how baseless cases began. Today also, I received a summon to be present in court.”
The first case against Rambahadur was in 2012 and the last one in 2018. Majority of the over 100 cases were lodged between 2012 and 2016 that named approximately over 4K people.
However, now the forest department has sought a detailed report on the issue. “We have asked officers concerned to file a detailed report on these cases,” said Anuradha Vemuri, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), UP.
Dudhwa Tiger Reserve field director H Rajamohan said, “We are scanning each case... working to see the nature of cases and under what circumstances they were registered. Since the matter is in court we would go by legal process.”
The cases were registered under section 27, 27(3), 51(1) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act and Section 26 of the Indian Forest Act. Killing of rare birds, cheetal, deer; destroying nests; wood smuggling; trespassing; stealing forest property and other charges have been slapped that can punish offender with fine and imprisonment.
The matter was brought to the notice of the chief minister’s office by Palia MLA Harvinder Kumar Sahani. “I met chief minister Yogi Adityanath and apprised him about the nature of cases. I believe names were included in the cases without even checking facts about the people. I have requested the government to clear such cases that are not correct.”
Sahani listed over 1,000 cases, which he said, “are baseless.”
“We have requested the government for swift action as many villagers are facing problems as they do not have a good source of income. In such a situation, the government can be of help to them,” said the MLA.
The Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR) stood fourth in the country in the Status of Tiger Report-2022. A total of 135 tigers were spotted during the census that placed this national park fourth in the country among tiger reserves.