Court Sentences 2 Wildlife Smugglers To 3-Year RI In Odisha’s Rayagada

Rayagada: A court has sentenced two persons to rigorous imprisonment for three years for smuggling leopard hides in Odisha’s Rayagada district.

As per the case, the STF personnel had arrested the two persons, identified as Dambarudhar Majhi of Naktiguda under Tikiri police station and Santosh Kumar Naik of Medri Sahi, Uditpurkhurigam, Kashipur in the district for possession of leopard skins on May 24, 2023.

The two accused were arrested during STF raid on a place on Rayagada-Koraput National Highway 326 near Siriguda Swargadham Chhak of Rayagada town. The STF had also seized three leopard skins from their possession.

Following investigation, the STF filed the charge sheet against the two wildlife smugglers in the court on July 26, 2023.

After hearing the case, the court of Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate, Rayagada convicted Dambarudhar and Santosh. The court sentenced them to rigorous imprisonment for three years and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 each.