Bear Hunt Linked to Superstition Results in Heavy Penalties for Four Accused

A Betul district court in Madhya Pradesh has handed down severe punishment to four individuals involved in the illegal killing of a bear for superstitious purposes. On August 19, each was sentenced to three years of rigorous imprisonment and ordered to pay a fine of ₹10,000.

The accused – Pritish, Raman alias Chanki, Rahul (all from Batkidoh) and Vasudev of Nishchintpur – were linked to a 2018 incident where a bear was found dead in a drain near the Heerapur beat, close to the state border. The animal’s right paw was cut off and the claws of the opposite paw were missing, indicating deliberate mutilation.

Investigators from the forest department, acting under the Wildlife Protection Act, uncovered that the suspects had placed a galvanized iron wire with a hook inside the drain, applied an electric charge to kill the bear, and then harvested its paw and claws for use in magical rites.

State counsel Ajit Singh and Abhaydeep Singh Thakur represented the government. Judicial Magistrate First Class Suresh Yadav affirmed the guilt of the four, imposing the three‑year rigorous imprisonment term and fines. A co‑accused, Kalu alias Subhash of Nutandanga village, is still at large, prompting intensified pursuit by forest officials.