Woman chargesheeted for possessing shahtoosh shawls

By Nirnimesh Kumar

NEW DELHI, JUNE 2. The Wildlife (Protection) Department of the Delhi Government has chargesheeted Ms. Ritu Ansal, wife of real estate tycoon, Mr. Gopal Ansal, for having been in illegal possession of seven shahtoosh shawls worth Rs. 4 lakhs in the international market.

The shawls were recovered during a raid by the Income Tax Department at the residence of the accused on Aurangzeb Road here in March. During the raid, the IT Department sleuths had sealed 55 shawls along with other valuables recovered from the house.

While evaluating the cost of the these shawls, they suspected that some of them could be of shahtoosh. So they informed the Wildlife (Protection) Department, which sent a team to examine the shawls on March 24. It found that seven of the 55 shawls were of shahtoosh.

When the Wildlife Department team visited the house, only Ms. Ritu Ansal was present there. However, she managed to get away during the examination of shawls.

Mr. Yogesh, Deputy Conservator of Forests, who was part of the raiding team, was on record at that time that they did not realise she was escaping. She just went out of the room with the phone in her hand, saying she wanted to call up somebody to check on the documents of the shawls, he had told reporters.

Later, Ms. Ansal got an anticipatory bail from a sessions court. Though the offence is cognisable and non-bailable, she managed to give the slip to the Wildlife Department till the court accepted her anticipatory bail application.

Thereafter, the Wildlife Department filed a chargesheet in the court of the then Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Mr. J.R. Aryan, under Section 49 of the Wildlife Protection Act. Taking cognisance of the chargesheet, the then Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Mr. J.R. Aryan, summoned her on May 10.

On that day, she appeared before the court and was granted bail on a personal bond of Rs. 25,000 with one surety of like amount. The court has now posted the matter for July 5 for pre-charge evidence. The Department has listed eight witnesses, all officials of the Department, to prove the case.

The punishment for the offence, if found guilty, is a minimum of one year's imprisonment which can be extended to seven years or a fine of Rs. 5,000 or both.

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