JUDGMENT :

S.G. Chattopadhyay, J.

1. The petitioners have challenged the judgment dated 15.11.2017 delivered by the Sessions Judge, North Tripura, Dharmanagar in Criminal Appeal No. 05 of 2017 affirming the judgment and order of conviction and sentence dated 07.08.2017 under Section 26 (e) and (f) of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 (hereinafter referred to as "the Forest Act") Crl. Rev. P. No. 57/2016. delivered by the Judicial Magistrate, First Class, Kanchanpur, North Tripura in Case No. CR(FA) 01 of 2016.

2. The facts of the case, in brief, are as follows:

Sri Famkima Darlong (PW-1), Forester, submitted offence report No. 05/FPU-16/Kanchanpur dated 27.09.2016 in the Court of the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate at kanchanpur on 28.09.2016 alleging, inter alia, that while he was patrolling in the area called Brupara in Kanchanpur along with his accompanying forest staff on 12.09.2016 at around 4 PM, he saw that a large number of Teak trees in the teak plantation of Uricherra under Tripura JICA project were girdled by axe above the ground level. The forest patrolling party led by informant came across 50 of such girdled teak trees in the area, a list of which was prepared by them contai