The Calcutta High Court has taken cognizance (suo motu) of the rise in cases of smuggling of endangered migratory bird species.
Terming the practice as cruel, unethical and illegal, a Bench comprising of Chief Justice TB Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee directed the matter to be registered as a public interest litigation(PIL) petition.
The PIL was taken up based on a newspaper report in the Bengali daily ‘Anandabazar Patrika’. The newspaper reported that hundreds of birds were smuggled in a bus from Patna to Kolkata (Durgapur Expressway) by smugglers who took advantage of the fact that the wings of many birds grow heavier during the winter months. The petition is drawn up on the Court's behalf pointed out that such illegal smuggling activities violated several laws and dispense great harm to the fauna involved. The matter will next heard on December 8, 2020.