Nainital, Apr 24 (PTI) The Uttarakhand High Court granted bail to a man on Friday in a case involving the alleged illegal possession of venomous snakes and venom.
Justice Ashish Naithani passed the order after hearing arguments of the case in which Nitin Kumar, a resident of Muzaffarnagar, was booked under various provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act for allegedly possessing 89 venomous snakes and collecting their venom. Kumar had been in judicial custody since October 2025.
Defence counsel argued that Kumar held a valid license to use snake venom for manufacturing life-saving medicines until December 31, 2023.
The accused had submitted an application for license renewal which remained pending at the time of his arrest.
The court heard that Kumar had also applied for permission to release the snakes, but officials took no decision on the request.
State counsel opposed the bail plea, stating the license had expired and several snakes had died in the accused’s possession.
The government further alleged that Kumar engaged in the illegal trade of snake venom. The court observed that the case appeared to involve a delay and lapse in the license renewal process.
It noted that the quantity of snakes recovered does not establish illegal possession when a valid license previously existed.
The court stated that whether the activity constituted illegal trade remains a matter for the trial to determine. Kumar was ordered to be released on bail. PTI COR AKY AKY SKY SKY
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