Wildlife smuggling: Police seeks cancellation of bail to accused

The West Bengal Police on Thursday moved the Calcutta High Court seeking cancellation of the bail granted to three persons accused of smuggling a lion cub and three primates - two of them reportedly listed as "critically endangered".

The vacation bench of the court directed the prosecution to serve notice on the accused, stating that the plea will appear for hearing before a regular bench three days after the court reopens on June 10.

Challenging the bail granted by the additional chief judicial magistrate at Barrackpore court, public prosecutor Saswata Gopal Mukherjee prayed for its cancellation to ensure proper investigation into the case.

He submitted that the lower court had granted bail to the three accused on the basis of seizure list, without seeking any report from the authorities.

In its interim order, Justice Subhasish Dasgupta directed the three accused to cooperate in the probe and meet the investigating officer once a week.

One lion cub, presumably from Africa, and three primates were seized by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau in the early hours of June 1.

Officials of the bureau, acting on intelligence inputs, chased and intercepted an SUV in which the cub and the primates were being transported.

Sources said the animals, smuggled from Bangladesh, were being transported to the western part of the country.

Three persons arrested in this connection were presented before the before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Barrackpore, North 24 Parganas district, on the same day of their arrest and granted bail.