17 held for killing and selling leopard skin

Mangalore Today News Network

Hyderabad, Jul 11 2017,DH News: The sleuths of Rachakonda police commissionerate on credible information apprehended six persons with leopard skin in the Ghatkesar police station limits and apprehended another eleven persons with the assistance of the forest officials and seized one leopard skin, mobile phones, two knives and a car from their possession.

According to Rachakonda police commissioner Mahesh M Bhagawat , the accused Anil, Srinivas, Jyothiram and Jaggaram all resident of Islampur village of Kadem Mandal belonging to Gond caste are habituated to poaching wild bores and deer in the wild forest area of Uddampur and Birsaipet of Kadam and Utnoor Mandal. All the four accused persons hatched a plan to kill tigers in the forest for the purpose of skin to sell it for the needy customers for a high price.

As per their plan the procured wire and sticks and other incriminating material and went to the dense forest of Birsaipet in the Utnoor area and they laid an iron wire fencing around the water pond where wild animals come for drinking water. In the evening hours, they laid and connected it to the electrical wire by putting hooks. All the four were watching from a nearby distance. In the early morning hours, they heard a big current shock sound and found one big leopard got electrocuted and killed near the water pond. Immediately they skinned the leopard. Later they informed to a middleman and handed over the skin for selling.

Since 3 months the above-said persons are contacting the customers at Hyderabad and mediating for selling the leopard skin for about 20 to 25 lakhs. However, police got wind of the deal and arrested the accused persons. Altogether 17 persons are arrested in this case and being produced before the court for judicial remand.