Family fined Rs.50 lakh for not producing ivory in court

New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) A court here has ordered a family to pay a fine of Rs.50 lakh for failing to produce before it over 100 kg of ivory articles recovered from their residence in 1999.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Special Judge J.P.S. Malik slapped the fine on R.K. Jain, his wife Sarita and mother Sushila while upholding a magisterial court order.

The court was hearing an appeal filed by Jain and his family challenging the magisterial court order that directed them to pay Rs.50 lakh for failing to produce before it the ivory articles.

The court - in its order delivered last week but which was made available Tuesday - allowed a wildlife inspector to show an estimated market price of the ivory articles, so that the remaining amount may be recovered from the accused for causing disappearance of the items.

The family told the court that in May 1999, a debt recovery officer had visited their house in Darya Ganj in their absence to carry out attachment proceedings as Jain's father was part of a firm that had failed to repay credit facilities to a bank.

The debt recovery officer found the ivory articles and seized them. The articles were later given back to the family by the presiding officer of the debt recovery tribunal.

The Jains later denied having any such articles.

As per a complaint filed by the wildlife inspector, the articles were released to the family by the debt recovery tribunal, and that they were in possession of the ivory articles without licence.