BARPETA: A sessions court here today sentenced 44 encroachers of the Manas National Park of Baska district to three years of rigorous imprisonment.
The judge also fined them Rs 50,000 for violating the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
According to prosecution, the encroachers were occupying the land of the Manas National Park in its Bahbari and Bhuyanpara ranges, while some of them moved to the Burhidau forest area of Kahitema under the Bahbari range.
On May 1 this year, the Manas National Park authority complained the matter to the Gobardhana police station which arrested the 44 encroachers and filed a case against them .