RAJESH ETC Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Leave granted.

(2.) The present appeals assail the Final Judgment and Order dtd. 6/6/2023 in Criminal Revision Application Nos.82 and 83 of 2013 (hereinafter referred to as the 'Impugned Judgment') passed by a learned Single Bench of the High Court of Judicature at Bombay, Nagpur Bench, Nagpur (hereinafter referred to as the 'High Court'), whereby the revision petitions filed by the appellants were dismissed and Judgment dtd. 23/5/2013 passed by the learned Additional Sessions Judge-3, Nagpur (hereinafter referred to as the 'Sessions Court') in Criminal Appeal Nos.88 and 97 of 2007 was upheld.

(3.) Secret information was received by the Central Bureau of Investigation, Special Investigation Unit No.II, New Delhi (hereinafter referred to as the 'CBI') that appellant-Makbool Ahmed [appellant in the appeal arising from SLP (Criminal) No.4651/2024, hereinafter referred to as 'Accused No.1'] and Rajesh [appellant in the appeal arising from SLP (Criminal) No.4650/2024, hereinafter referred to as 'Accused No.2'] were indulging in illegal trade of tiger skin and wild animal products. The information was to the effect that the appellants were likely to deliver huge quantity of the illegal skin and products to some unknown persons in Nagpur, Maharashtra in the 3rd week of March, 2001. Based on this information, a CBI team, headed by PW4/Mr. A. K. Bassi, Inspector, reached Nagpur and maintained regular contacts with the source. On 21/3/2001, the source informed the CBI team that both accused were likely to deliver huge quantity of tiger skin and wild animal products to some unknown person(s) at about 16:40 hours at M.H.S.K. Mohammad Ali Petrol Pump, Kamptee Road, Nagpur in a Maruti-make car. Accordingly, two independent witnesses were requisitioned by way of a written request by PW4 to the Regional Labour Commissioner (Central), CGO Complex, Nagpur and Executive, Patent Information System, CGO Complex, Nagpur, seeking two officers. The Regional Labour Commissioner made available the services of Mr. K.G. Sadawarte and Mr. Umesh Bhosale/PW2, respectively.