Posted by barunroy on June 27, 2008
By Jan Velinger Radio Praha Czech
Czech entomologists Petr Švácha and Emil Kučera can’t be pleased over developments, arrested conducting private research in Darjeeling hills: on Sunday the research duo was taken into custody by Indian officials, after being caught collecting specimens in a national park in the area of Darjeeling. The duo did not have permits to gather specimens of butterfly and beetles (estimated by Indian sources as worth hundreds of US dollars) and illegal gathering is a serious offence. Under India’s wildlife protection act, the removal of insects from their natural habitat could mean up several years in prison. Kateřina Vovková is an official at the Czech Embassy in New Delhi. [Inset: Petr Švácha]
“It is quite a serious crime here in India because Indian authorities and citizens really care about nature and anything against nature is considered serious. Therefore they are facing charges between 2 to 7 years in prison. They had been collecting some beetles and butterflies and worms and defended themselves by saying they didn’t realise it was a national park and didn’t know it was against
Indian law. They said they were not aware of any wrongdoing and had been taken by surprise. That’s how the situation is.”
Back in the Czech Republic many here are convinced the incident is a misunderstanding. Jan Šula is the head of the Entomology Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences in České Budějovice, Petr Švácha’s employer:
“Petr Švácha is a world-recognised specialist on sawyer beetle larvae and I think that explains what he was doing there. He does everything for science, even investing his own time and money. I think intentional wrong-doing is out of the question. Of course, if they had been there officially this kind of thing could never have happened. On official trips you have cooperation from local specialists and so on. If they had been there officially this could never have happened.” [Inset: A sadhu or Hindu holy man holds a beetle (insect) in his hand as he poses for a photograph, during Ambubasi festival at Kamakhya temple, in Gauhati, India, Saturday, June 21, 2008. The Ambubasi festival will start on June 22. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)]
Both men now have legal representation and will have to await the next step: local authorities will return to their case on July 7.
This entry was posted on June 27, 2008 at 6:42 pm and is filed under In Newspapers Today.
Tagged: ambubasi festival, beetles, ceske budejovice, czech academy of sciences, czech embassy, czech entomologist, czech republic, darjeeling hills, emil kucera, gauhati, hindu holy man, kaakhya, katerina vovkova, new delhi, petr svácha, sadhu, sawyer beetle larvae. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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Czech entomologists Petr Švácha and Emil Kučera can’t be pleased over developments, arrested conducting private research in Darjeeling hills: on Sunday the research duo was taken into custody by Indian officials, after being caught collecting specimens in a national park in the area of Darjeeling. The duo did not have permits to gather specimens of butterfly and beetles (estimated by Indian sources as worth hundreds of US dollars) and illegal gathering is a serious offence. Under India’s wildlife protection act, the removal of insects from their natural habitat could mean up several years in prison. Kateřina Vovková is an official at the Czech Embassy in New Delhi. [Inset: Petr Švácha]
Indian law. They said they were not aware of any wrongdoing and had been taken by surprise. That’s how the situation is.”
Kato said
These entomologists are not entomologists. Every scientist knows that you need a permit to collect. Shame on the scientists who have requested for their premature release and tried to put pressure. Read more in Schrijversgroep 77
http://www.calodema.com/index.php?cPath=31?
osCsid=1af949e6c836be5cdb8d65250fd66805
or search. http://www.calodema.com
http://www.petitiononline.com/wgircn2/petition.html
BATMAS
Pagal said
Jan Velinger you are a smuggler.
RAJA said
aare british pura desk ko loot kar chala gaya….aur ye bechara 2-4 insect kya churana aaya toh sab piche paad gaya…this is really injustice
Atit said
If striking a dog with a stone infront of the general public in Europe is a crime under the animal rights law how come these two idiot scientists were collecting specimens from our innocent, helpless, unharmful insects and butterflies. It is a direct discrimination to India and its people. They must understand in India Indians live respecting the law of the nature it is neither a lawless country. We give value to rocks, water, trees, animals and the land that gives us food and of course we know how to retaliate to the ugly face. The Chez paper says Petr Svacha does everything for science may be okey in Chec Republic but not in my country India. Anything official is legal and considerable without licence illegal and crime both of them must be put behind bars at least for 2 – 7 years minimum mo bha 20 – 70 dinay thye.
Atit
RAJA said
@Atit,
hmmmm you are standing on a firm base……I cant cross your points which you have raised…..if he is proved guilty then should be put behind bars…..but that should not be more than 6 months….India can cancel his visa for life time so that he cant enter here in near future…That would be a real thrust for him.
Parik said
Here you can find note from his colleague: http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=136445.
Parik said
http://www.praguepost.com/articles/2008/07/02/czech-entomologists-arrested-in-india.php