Authorities in Rawalpindi have registered a case against individuals who illegally kept a lion at a residence in Bewal, Gujar Khan, following a successful raid conducted by wildlife officials.
According to details, Wildlife Inspector Sami Akhtar lodged a formal complaint against the suspects at Gujar Khan police station. The charges revolve around violations of multiple sections of the Punjab Wildlife Protection, Preservation, and Conservation Act, 1974.
Acting upon credible intelligence, wildlife officials recovered a ferocious lion from the residence of Malik Tasadaq Iqbal during a raid in Bewal. The raid was carried out after obtaining search warrants issued by Civil Judge Gujar Khan, Hasnat Aslam.
During the operation to recover the animal, a caretaker named Rukhsar Ahmad, tasked with the upkeep of the lion, fled from the scene and remains at large.
The case details further indicate that keeping a lion without proper registration or licensing constitutes a serious legal offence under the Wildlife Amendment Act 2025. The accused are accused of violating multiple sections of the wildlife laws, specifically sections 9, 10, 12, 14, 21, and 28 of the Wildlife Act.
The Punjab Wildlife Department successfully recovered the lion from the premises in the Bewal region, and further legal proceedings are underway against those responsible for illegally housing the wild animal.
