Amid challenges of poor conviction rate in forest and wildlife related offences, the state government has amended the existing Wildlife (Protection) (Odisha) Rules - 1974, introducing critical changes to enhance the enforcement of wildlife laws and ensure swift action against offenders.
The amended rules now include at least 10 new standardised forms for investigation of offences related to wildlife crimes and are designed to streamline documentation and follow-up procedures for forest and wildlife authorities. Among the newly introduced forms are a seizure list, carcass details, search warrant form, and an offence list — tools that will help in systematically recording and tracking wildlife crime cases.
Sources in the Forest, Environment and Climate Change department said despite stress on proper management of forest and wildlife resources, the conviction rate in forest-related offences including wildlife crimes in the state have been low for years.
While thousands of arrests were made in connection with poaching, electrocution, seizure of wildlife articles, theft of timber, sandalwood and forest vehicles among other offences between 2019 and 2023, the conviction rate in these cases till last year, as per the department statistics, is less than 1%.
The department data suggests that at least 414 wildlife articles, 3,251 cubic metre (cum) of timber, 1,977 quintal of kendu leaf, 32 quintals of sandalwood and around 300 cum of stones and boulders were seized in the state between 2019 and 2023. Theft of around 260 forest vehicles were reported in this period.
Though the forest department lodged FIRs against 6,348 people in connection with these crimes, only 18 of them have been convicted, while 44 acquitted as of mid-2024.
Forest officials admitted that the absence of standardised forms was leading to several challenges in the investigation and prosecution of wildlife offence cases, including inconsistent documentation across divisions and ranges, affecting the quality and credibility of case records; incomplete or informal evidence recording, weakening the legal standing of offence reports in courts; lack of uniformity in seizure procedures and suspect interrogation, creating procedural loopholes; and limited admissibility of irregularly prepared documents in judicial proceedings.
“The newly notified Wildlife (Protection)Amendment Rules - 2025 marks a key step towards strengthening wildlife law enforcement in the state,” said PCCF Wildlife and Chief Wildlife Warden Prem Kumar Jha.
Jha said with the introduction of Rule 49-B and standardised forms 26 to 35 for offence investigation, the process becomes more transparent, accountable and efficient. “This will ensure better protection of wildlife and swift action against offenders,” he said.
Forest officials said that the amendments that align with the objectives of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 are expected to plug existing gaps and ensure better accountability. Citing an example, they said the seizure list form — containing details such as date, time and place of seizure, particular of the property seized, name and address of the accused, their signature, circumstances of seizure and signature of the witnesses — will provide a uniform structure to document items confiscated during enforcement actions, helping to avoid data loss or discrepancies.
Similarly, the carcass details form containing information such as species name and category, place of seizure, description and position of the carcass, injuries found, materials or weapons found near the carcass etc will aid in the scientific documentation of dead animals, supporting investigations into poaching or unnatural deaths, while the offence report will allow authorities to clearly record the nature of the offence, names of suspects, and legal provisions invoked, facilitating more effective prosecution.
The fresh changes also include a form of warrant to search a suspected place of deposit.
All these provisions will facilitate improved legal robustness of case files, ensuring better conviction rates in courts. The changes will also help in enhancing coordination with police and forensic/scientific agencies and reducing chances of tampering or procedural lapses.