From letters to the Supreme Court to a year-round resource for animals. Read the story

3 held for wildlife hunting in Jaisalmer

3 held for wildlife hunting in Jaisalmer

Three men were arrested for illegal wildlife hunting near Swangiya Mata Temple in Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan, after a forest raid rescued a fox and a rabbit. The Forest Department stated that the suspects, identified as Mularam, Uttamaram and Chandranath, were caught following a tip-off. Jaisalmer Divisional Forest Officer Kumar Shubham stated that officials recovered a traditional trapping device and two motorcycles from the accused. The seized animals, belonging to species protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, were shifted to a veterinary hospital where they died during treatment despite assistance from the Wildlife Institute of India. The court remanded the accused to judicial custody on Friday. The Forest Department registered a case under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and appealed to the public to report suspicious activities in forest areas.

Sources

Read the original (opens in a new tab)Summary written by Animal Writes. Read the original before relying on it.

More in Courts and Judgments

  • Two arrested in connection with poaching of Kuno cheetah cub

    News

    Two arrested in connection with poaching of Kuno cheetah cub

    Two suspects were arrested for the poaching of a cheetah cub from Kuno National Park in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh. ANI reported that the Special Task Force in Madhya Pradesh arrested Bhagwan Singh and his brother Pritam Singh for allegedly hunting the animal using a licensed muzzle-loading shotgun in the forests of Sheopur. The 19-month-old male cub had died from pellet injuries on October 26, a day after a monitoring team found it wounded in the Morena territorial forest division and sent it to the veterinary institute in Jabalpur. ANI stated that the accused were booked under sections of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 pertaining to hunting. This marks the first killing and the 25th death of a cheetah since the reintroduction of the wild animal to India in 2022, when cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa were brought back seven decades after being declared extinct by the Indian government in 1952. The country now has a total of 54 cheetahs, with 50 located in Kuno National Park and four in the Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary.

  • PETA’s plea: Celebrities, politicians, scientists sign against Centre’s draft on animal cruelty rules

    News

    PETA’s plea: Celebrities, politicians, scientists sign against Centre’s draft on animal cruelty rules

    Celebrities, politicians, and scientists in New Delhi opposed draft animal cruelty rules for laboratory animals, fearing weakened animal protection safeguards. PETA India stated that over 18,000 people, including actors John Abraham, Tabu, and Hema Malini, along with parliamentarians and scientists, signed the appeal seeking the withdrawal of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Control and Supervision of Experiment, Breeding and Trading of Laboratory Animals) Rules, 2026. The proposed rules aim to replace the Breeding of and Experiments on Animals (Control and Supervision) Rules, 1998, by introducing institutional self-regulation for pharmaceutical, medical, and academic research. The Government stated that the draft rules strengthen ethical accountability and invited objections and suggestions until November 5. PETA India alleged that the proposal could increase the capture and use of protected wildlife for experiments, permit community dogs and cats in laboratories, and dilute oversight by the Central Committee for Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA). PETA India's science and research policy advisor Dr Noopur Jain said, "We must build on this progress, not move backward."

  • Nahargarh Wildlife Sanctuary boundary dispute: Supreme Court asks activist to pursue challenge to revised map before Rajasthan High Court

    News

    Nahargarh Wildlife Sanctuary boundary dispute: Supreme Court asks activist to pursue challenge to revised map before Rajasthan High Court

    The Supreme Court on 3 November refused to rule on a challenge to the revised boundaries of Rajasthan’s Nahargarh Wildlife Sanctuary, directing activist Rajendra Tiwari to raise his objections before the Rajasthan High Court, where the map is already contested. The bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana noted that “the controversy surrounding the identification and demarcation of the sanctuary’s actual boundaries must first be adjudicated by the High Court.” The dispute stems from National Green Tribunal proceedings over the inclusion of the revenue area of village Nahargarh in the protected zone, which the Forest Department altered without the National Board for Wildlife’s approval, according to Tiwari’s claim. The Supreme Court observed that the High Court’s pending case will determine any illegality and bind all parties, including government authorities, once its decision becomes final. Tiwari may now pursue all remaining objections in the High Court.

From the Library

  • 45 live reptiles seized at Trichy airport, 2 arrested

    Official Release

    45 live reptiles seized at Trichy airport, 2 arrested

    The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence issued a seizure report detailing how officers foiled an attempt to smuggle live reptiles into India at Trichy Airport. The action applies to international passengers and wildlife smugglers operating through airports. According to Free Press Journal, officers intercepted two Indian passengers arriving from Bangkok via Colombo on 26 Oct 2026. A systematic examination of passenger baggage led to the recovery of forty-five live reptiles concealed inside twenty-seven food packets while the sedated animals remained hidden. The seized animals comprised twenty-three Corn Snakes, sixteen Ball Pythons, five Argentine Black and White Tegus, and one Snow White Iguana. Two passengers faced arrest by the Air Intelligence Unit, Trichy, under the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962, and the recovered wildlife went to the unit for further necessary action. In practice, this means travellers attempting to transport animals illegally face baggage searches, confiscation of concealed wildlife, and arrest under federal customs laws. Readers can report suspected wildlife trafficking activity to customs authorities and airport intelligence units.

  • 86 live tokay geckos seized in Assam, two arrested

    Official Release

    86 live tokay geckos seized in Assam, two arrested

    The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence confiscated 86 live Tokay geckos in Assam during a wildlife trafficking crackdown. Acting on specific intelligence regarding an illegal trade deal, officers intercepted two individuals at Bandar Chalia Gaon Ground in Mariani. The endangered animals were seized under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and the two apprehended persons were subsequently handed over to the Mariani Range Forest office for further action.

  • A brown street dog lying on a pavement under pink bougainvillea flowers.

    Judgment

    Madras High Court, 1 Sep 2026: PCA section 11(1)(a) is non-cognizable (Balaji v. State, Crl.O.P. No. 9632 of 2026)

    The Madras High Court delivered a judgment in Balaji v. State, Crl.O.P. No. 9632 of 2026, quashing a criminal case under section 11(1)(a) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 against a man accused of throwing a stone at a neighbour's dog that had bitten him. Justice G.K. Ilanthiraiyan held that the offence is non-cognizable, meaning the police cannot arrest without a warrant under section 31 of the Act, and that for a first offence the punishment is a fine of Rs 10 to Rs 50. The court ruled that the police should therefore have taken the magistrate's permission under section 174(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita before registering the first information report. The court also noted that no evidence showed the dog was injured and that the complaint was a counterblast to the petitioner's own complaint.

Get Animal Writes updates

News, important developments and practical guides — no spam.

Newsletter

Email me Animal Writes updates. I can unsubscribe at any time.