Shahtoosh Trader Convicted in Wildlife Crime Case spanning 17 years

In a landmark ruling for wildlife law enforcement in India, a New Delhi court has convicted a Jaipur art gallery owner for attempting to illegally export Shahtoosh shawls – made from the hair of the critically endangered Tibetan Antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii) – in violation of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

The Chief Judicial Magistrate at Rouse Avenue District Courts delivered the judgment against Syed Shahid Ahmed Kashani, proprietor of Indian Art Gallery, Jaipur, on March 12, 2026, bringing to a close a case first detected in December 2008.

The Tibetan Antelope, locally known as Chiru, is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and its trade is strictly prohibited under domestic law. The trade in Shahtoosh shawls has also been banned globally since 1975 under CITES, to which India is a signatory.

What makes this case unique is the sustained coordination among four agencies – the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Customs, and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) – over nearly 17 years.

WCCB identified the presence of 1,290 Shahtoosh shawls in an export consignment at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, and filed a complaint with the CBI’s EOU-V Branch, New Delhi, in February 2009 – the first time a wildlife offence has been prosecuted through the CBI.

Since a No Objection Certificate from wildlife authorities is required for Pashmina shawl exports, Inspector Aarti Singh of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), Northern Region, examined the consignment and identified shawls suspected to contain Shahtoosh fibre.

Forensic examination by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, confirmed Tibetan Antelope hair in 41 shawls – 5 in the first round and 36 more in further testing.

The complainant was Ramesh Kumar Pandey, then Regional Deputy Director (Northern Region), WCCB, who formally initiated the CBI complaint and coordinated the referral of forensic samples to WII. Mr Pandey, currently serving as ADG Wildlife and Director (Ex-Officio), WCCB, remained associated throughout.

The Customs Department kept the shawls safe and managed the evidence chain. WII’s Wildlife Forensic Cell gave strong scientific evidence with reports on seized shawls, identifying the presence of hairs from the Tibetan Antelope.

The then Inspector Sanjay Dubey of the CBI was the Investigating Officer, handling everything from evidence collection to court arguments. Inspector Aarti Singh of WCCB played an important role in spotting and seizing the site. Dr S.P. Goyal, a Scientist at WII, gave expert witness testimony and stood up to questioning in court.

The accused had stated that he bought only machine-made Pashmina from a Delhi seller and that he was not involved in any wrongdoing. His lawyers questioned the field examination, the tests, and the handling of evidence.

But the court rejected all points, upheld the WII reports, and found that the accused’s behaviour did not match their claims of innocence.

The accused was sentenced to 3 years of simple imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 50,000 under Section 49B(1)/51(1A), plus an additional 2 years each concurrently under Sections 40 and 49. Seized shawls will become government property.

The case is among the earliest instances of a Shahtoosh smuggling offence being investigated by the CBI at the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau’s instance.

It highlights that the enforcement of wildlife law in India needs a coordinated approach to detection, investigation, forensics, and prosecution, with the ability to sustain proceedings for over a decade.