A Special Environment Court sentenced 22 people to jail terms of upto 2 1/2 years for killing endangered animals in northern India, wild life officials said on Saturday.
In one case 19 men were sentenced to two years of prison with hard labour for killing a rare Neelgai, or Blue buck, in 1998 in the Sirsa district, some 150 kilometers (93 miles) north east of New Delhi, District Wild Life Inspector RP Dangi told reporters. A fine of Rs 2,000 (US$43; euro34) was also imposed on them. If they fail to pay they would have to serve six more months.
In a second case three snake charmers were sentenced to 1 1/2 years of hard labour in jail for killing wild cats, Dangi said. In addition a fine of Rs 500 (US$11; euro8.5) was imposed on them or an extra six months in prison. The three were arrested with the dead bodies of the three cats in 2004, he said.
India has recently been taking a tough stand against people who violate the Wildlife Act. Earlier in the year Bollywood star Salman Khan was sentenced to five years in prison for killing a rare black buck.