( 1 ) THE officers of Sals Tax Department conducted checking of a truck bearing No. DL-1-G-7901 at the Mohan Nagar barrier in district Ghaziabad in the night of 18th/19th Dec. 1999 and a bundle of cotton cloth was found there in which according to the documents was being transported from Delhi to Siliguri. On opening the bundle it was found that it contained 50 skins of leopard, 3 skins of tiger and 5 skins of jungle fox. Information about the articles was sent to officers of Forest Department, Ghaziabad who arrived on the spot and seized the skin of animals under Section 50 of The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 (hereinafter referred to as the Act ). Pratap Chandra and Pappu Singh, driver and conductor respectively, of the truck were taken into custody. Thereafter Sewa Singh, Forester, lodged a F. I. R. at 23. 15 hours on 19-12-1999 and on the basis of the same a case was registered as crime No. 915 of 1999 under Sections 9, 39 (3), 44, 49, 50, 51, 57 and 58 of the Act at P. S. Sahibabad. The investigation of the case was subsequenlty transferred to Delhi Special Police Establishment by the order of the Central Government dated 21-3-2000. The petitioner Moti Lal,