By F. M. Britto

Raipur, July 26, 2019: We have heard many stories of under-trial persons languishing in Indian jails for years. But Chhattisgarh has different types of under-trials. Three tortoises have been under legal custody for the last four years at Rajnandgaon in the central Indian state.

The Basantpur police arrested six culprits in Sept 2015 for using four tortoises for black magic, reported Dainik Bhaskar daily, July 25. The police then produced them at the local court at Rajnandgaon.

But they got bailed out later. And the case is in progress.

The court entrusted the four tortoises to the forest officials to keep them under their custody as witness of their crime, since legally all the captured creatures are to be entrusted to the forest department, adds the daily.

But one of the tortoises which had some scratches died after six months. A post mortem was done by the forest department and the report was faithfully submitted to the court so that the reason for the custodial death could be legally proved.

And the three tortoises are under lock-up to give witness against their captors in the court.

Along with the deputy ranger, four workers are taking care of these tortoises since then. Ranger K K Varma has alleged that they are spending their personal money to meet the expenses like feeding them and daily changing the water, since the court has not provided any fund for their maintenances.

The tortoises were never produced in the court until now.

Deputy Forest Officer Pankaj Rajput of Rajnandgaon has alleged that a memorandum had been submitted to the court to release these tortoises, but no court order has come so far.

According to Lawyer H. B. Gazi of Rajnandgaon, these tortoises could be preserved in a protected area.

Town Inspector Rajesh Sahu of Basantpur had alleged that the culprits were bailed out; but he knew nothing of the hapless tortoises.

Until the police submits the court verdict papers to the forest officials, these tortoises have to suffer their life in the small tank in the forest department, not aware how long.