Nagpur: The Supreme Court of India has set aside the order of the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court and granted bail to Manraj Iwnate, who was facing charges for killing a tiger under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The accused Manraj, a resident of Mahekepar Kolitmara, Navegaon, district Nagpur, was arrested along with 16 other co-accused on August 9, 2017, for allegedly poaching a tiger in Pench National Tiger Reserve.
Manraj, represented by senior counsel Siddharth Dave, contested the refusal of bail by highlighting discrepancies in the case. He argued that the High Court’s observation regarding the killing of three tigers was erroneous. According to Manraj’s legal team, the incident involved two tigers fighting, resulting in one tiger’s death. Additionally, they questioned the admissibility of a confession made by an accused against co-accused and cited relevant sections of the Act.
The State of Maharashtra, represented by Adv Aaditya Aniruddha Pande, opposed the bail and pointed out that seven co-accused were still absconding. Considering the length of time Manraj had spent in custody and the maximum punishment he faced, the division bench of Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra deemed it appropriate to grant bail. However, the court directed the trial court to impose suitable bail conditions.
