A joint team of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) and Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has arrested six people on Thursday on charges of allegedly poaching a tiger cub and trying to sell off its body parts.
According to Seoni Sub Divisional Forest Officer Yugesh Patel, the alleged poaching had taken place about a fortnight ago in the private farmhouse of one of the accused located in buffer zone of the Pench Tiger Reserve in the Seoni district of Madhya Pradesh. The cub was electrocuted by laying an electric wire trap on the ground.
The poachers later cut off the paws and other body parts of the cub and tried to sell the nails in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
However, the Nagpur office of the DRI got information about their attempts. The DRI officials notified the officials of the Seoni Forest Division in MP.
Subsequently, a joint team of the DRI and the MP Forest Department arrested the accused.
According to Patel, the joint operation led to the arrest of Bhimraj Khobragade (69), Lokesh Patle (28), and Khinaram Patle (38) all from MP. The trio was found in possession of nine tiger nails and 61 bones, which have been seized, he added.
During interrogation, the accused disclosed that the parts had been obtained from Vinod Adamache (29), Prahlad Junanapte (62), both residents of Khapa Tola besides Sohanlal Kushram (74) – all residents of Seoni.
Patel said the tiger cub was killed in the farm owned by Vinod Adamache.
The accused severed the paws and other body parts, and buried the body in a pit near a village drain.
The forest team has recovered the decomposed carcass and other items allegedly used in the poaching from the site.
The Forest Department is conducting a detailed investigation in the case.