A Nagpur-based lawyer, Shukul
is stoically chipping away at the
complacency that has thus far
characterised the prosecution of
dangerous wildlife criminals in India...
those whose deeds have been equated
with petty crimes for much too long.
With his superb knowledge of the
Wild Life Protection Act, 1972, and an
incredible understanding of supporting
precedents, Shukul is not only putting
poachers and traders behind bars, he’s
also keeping them there!
Regularly appearing as a Special
Counsel for the Maharashtra and
Madhya Pradesh Forest Departments,
this legal eagle has won an impressive
number of convictions from the courts,
including the cancellation of bail for
‘Chacha’, the notorious tiger skin trader
whose crimes rival those of the late
Sansar Chand. The landmark judgment
that he was awarded in the case put
an end to the era of ‘automatic bail’ for
those accused of poaching and trade.
Driven by his passion for nature and
incensed by how wildlife criminals have
made a mockery of the law, Shukul
takes a no-holds barred approach to
every case he accepts. He works with
doctors, forensic examiners, the Forest
Department and other colleagues to
tear gaping holes in the cases of the
defendants, making it near impossible
for any judge to rule in their favour.
Shukul acknowledges the eff orts of
his team and associates in his success,
specifi cally outlining the contributions
of Pandurang Pakhale (see page 29), aRange Forest Offi cer of Maharashtra’s
Pench Tiger Reserve. Pakhale has
arrested over a dozen tiger poachers,
busted a pangolin poaching racket
and fearlessly appeared in court time
and again, in spite of the immense
political pressure against him for
upsetting the status quo. Battling false
allegations and threats from the wildlife
crime syndicate, he has kept both
his morale and morals high. With his
perseverance and Shukul’s legal acumen,
they have proved how eff ective the
law can be if forest offi cials and lawyers
work in tandem.
Despite the tedious rigours of his
work, Shukul also manages to devote
many hours every month to building
capacity within members of the
lower judiciary, police offi cers, Forest
Department, and fellow lawyers by
teaching them how to eff ectively wield
his weapon of choice – the Wild Life
Protection Act.
Kartik Shukul is a man of integrity
and intelligence, whose resilience is
taking out wildlife criminals one court
case at a time.
And for this, we honour him.Neha Sinha
Bold commentator, talented writer,
and environmentalist
The world needs strong yet sensitive,
opinionated yet rational, determined
yet appreciative women. And if there’s
anyone in India who fi ts the bill, it’s Neha
Sinha. She worked as a senior reporter/
environmental journalist for The IndianExpress, but the call of the wild proved
too strong to ignore and she soon
jumped ship to conservation. Quitting
her job, Sinha took a swan dive into the
world of conservation science, policy, law
and governance by getting selected for
Oxford University’s Masters of Science
in Biodiversity, Conservation and
Management on an INLAKS scholarship.
Her sweet voice is a powerful one
that speaks in favour of threatened
species and ecosystems. Working with
the Bombay Natural History Society
(BNHS) on policy and advocacy, her
contributions have involved providing
valuable inputs on amendments to
the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972,
Wetland Rules (2017), Compensatory
Aff orestation Fund Act (2016), and T. S.
R. Subramanian High Level Committee
to Review Environmental Laws (2015).
She also represented BNHS while
drafting the National Biodiversity
Targets for the Government of India.
Amongst the many environmental
projects and campaigns that she
has bolstered, is the Amur Falcon
Campaign in Nagaland – the biggest
conservation success story of recent
times. In this regard, she works on
the ground in Nagaland and Manipur,
creating awareness and education
among local communities, as well as at
the policy level through advocacy and
environmental education programmes.
Using her knowledge, oratory skills
and bold penmanship, Neha has trained
hundreds of people, ranging from
media, conservationists, citizens, forestCOURTESY: ADV. KARTIK N. SHUKUL
LEFT: WILDLIFE SERVICE AWARD Incensed by how wildlife criminals have made a mockery of the law, Nagpur-based lawyer Kartik Shukul is not only
putting poachers and traders behind bars, he’s also keeping them there with his superb knowledge of the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972.
RIGHT: WILDLIFE SERVICE AWARD Quitting her job, Neha Sinha took a swan dive into the world of conservation science, policy, law and governance
and has used her penmanship to bolster many environmental projects and campaigns.COURTESY: NEHA SINHA