Darjeeling, Oct. 28: Emil Kucera had called up his girlfriend for one of his passports and some money before he crossed over to Nepal and fled to his country, the Czech Republic. The forester has said this in an interview to Czech Television, reports Aktualne, a Czech newspaper.

The Telegraph had yesterday reported that Kucera had used three passports to visit India five times between 1999 and 2008. Only one of them — No 35667512 — had been seized and is now with the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Darjeeling.

The Czech Ambassador in India, Hynek Kmonicek, told PTI that he received an e-mail from Kucera stating that he had left as “he had no other alternative but to reach his country”.

Kmonicek said it was absolutely Kucera's personal responsibility and the Czech embassy was ready to extend all possible help to India on this issue.

Kucera along with Petr Svacha, a Czech entomologist, had been arrested on June 22 for illegally collecting beetles and insects from Singalila National Park, about 90km from Darjeeling.

While both Svacha and Kucera were convicted, the entomologist was let off with a fine of Rs 20,000. Kucera was sentenced to three years imprisonment and a fine of Rs 60,000. However, the forester was given bail so that he could appeal against the judgment to a higher court, in this case the sessions court. The court of the chief judicial magistrate had, however, said Kucera could not leave Darjeeling district without its permission.

Yesterday, when contacted on his friend’s cellphone, Kucera had said he had already reached the Czech Republic, but had refused to divulge the details of how he made it there. He had said the “absurdity” of the case had prompted him to flee. “Why (I fled).is an interesting question. There are no human rights there. The case was absurd. How could two people involved in the same case get two different judgments?” Kucera had said. The Czech government has purportedly said he may not be extradited.

Aktualne has quoted a spokesperson of the Czech justice ministry, Zuzana Kuncová, who said: “Since the sentence has not yet taken effect, they cannot ask for his extradition.” The Czech foreign ministry does not expect that Kucera’s escape will harm the country’s relations with India, according to ministry spokeswoman Zuzana Opletalová.

“The Czech Republic cannot be held responsible for a decision of a single person, who was under heavy psychological pressure,” Opletalová added.

Taranga Pandit, Kucera’s defence lawyer, said the Czech embassy had faxed him a letter saying that Petr Svacha was ill in Delhi. “The fax, which arrived yesterday, authorised me to collect his passport from the court. There was no mention of Kucera’s escape,” said Pandit.

“The next date of hearing (on Kucera’s case) in the sessions court is November 6. In all likelihood, his bail will now be rejected,” he added.