S.B. Shukre, J.

Heard the learned Counsel for the applicant and the learned A.P.P. for the State.

2. By this application, the applicant is seeking anticipatory bail in P.O.R. No. 45/2014, registered against him for the offence punishable under Section 51 of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 ('the Act of 1972' for short) in relation to violation of Sections 9, 39(3)(a)(b)(c), 44(1)(b), 48(a), 49 and 49-B(1)(b) of the Act of 1972.

3. Upon receiving an information that a 'Ghorpad', called the Monitor Lizard, having been illegally captured and brought to one agricultural field situated within the precincts of village Pimpalkhuta, was cooked and its meat was consumed by 7-8 persons in a party held in the evening of 17/07/2016 in the said field, the Forest Officers conducted a raid on the agricultural field. The raid laid bare few empty liquor bottles, bones of an animal and pieces of leftover meat strewn at the spot. One person Maroti Waghmare was found to be present in the field. So, an enquiry was made with him. It was revealed that this applicant had taken active part in acquiring, possessing and destroying a wild animal called Monitor Lizard, listed in Schedule-I to the Ac