FIR Over Reindeer Horn Quashed, Authorities Pulled Up for Unjust Arrest: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta quashed the FIR and criminal proceedings against Rocky Abraham, an Indian citizen based in Italy, who was arrested at Delhi Airport in January 2025 for allegedly carrying a deer horn.

A forensic report later confirmed that the item was a reindeer horn, not a protected species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Terming the action arbitrary, the Court admonished authorities for detaining international travellers without proper verification and cited a similar case involving the wrongful seizure of an elderly man’s luxury watch, urging officials to exercise greater caution and sensitivity.

[Rocky Abraham v Union of India]