17 years later, gallery owner found guilty over Shahtoosh shawl export bid

New Delhi: In a rare move under the Wildlife Protection Act, a court has handed down a rare conviction to a Jaipur art gallery owner for trying to illegally export Shahtoosh shawls – made from the hair of the critically endangered Tibetan antelope – in a CBI case that dragged on for 17 years.On March 12, the chief judge of the Raus Avenue District Court in Delhi sentenced Syed Shaheed Ahmed Kashani, the owner of the Indian Art Gallery in Jaipur, to three years of simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs 50,000. The impounded shawls will become government property.The Tibetan antelope (locally known as Chiru) is included in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and its trade is strictly prohibited. The trade in Shahtoosh shawls has been banned globally since 1975 under an international convention.“What is unique about this case is the nearly 17-year coordination between four agencies – Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, CBI, Indian Customs and Wildlife Research Institute,” the environment ministry said.The WCCB had detected 1,290 pieces of Shahtoosh shawls in an export consignment at IGI Airport and lodged a complaint with the CBI in 2009. WII’s forensic investigation confirmed that 41 shawls contained Tibetan antelope wool. “This case is one of the earliest shahtoosh smuggling cases commissioned by the CBI to investigate by the WCCB,” the environment ministry said.