BHOPAL - A Madhya Pradesh court has sentenced a man to three years’ imprisonment for clipping the wings of an owl and keeping it captive in his house in Chhindwara district for three years.

Chief Judicial Magistrate of Chhindwara Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi sentenced Gendalal last week.

“Gendalal who kept the owl in a cage at his home has been sentenced for confining the bird which is illegal as per the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. A fine of Rs.10,000 has also been slapped on the accused who had clipped the bird’s wings,” a forest official said.

The matter came to light a few months back when a beat guard at Sillevani Forest Range in Chhindwara found Gendalal in possession of the owl. The guard urged him to release the owl only to find that the wings of the bird had been clipped to prevent it from flying.

The accused was then booked under the Wildlife Protection Act.

During the trial that began in April this year, Gendalal pleaded that he was not guilty. But a forest official told the court that Gendalal had himself told him that he kept the owl at his home because he felt that its presence would bring him wealth.