Nine held for possessing, poaching of tiger skin in Asifabad

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Nine persons were arrested by forest officials for allegedly poaching a tiger and for being in possession of the hide of a tiger in Kaghaznagar on Sunday. The hide, lower jaw and some bones of the big cat were recovered from them. One more accused was absconding. District Forest Officer S Shantaram […]

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Nine persons were arrested by forest officials for allegedly poaching a tiger and for being in possession of the hide of a tiger in Kaghaznagar on Sunday. The hide, lower jaw and some bones of the big cat were recovered from them. One more accused was absconding.

District Forest Officer S Shantaram said that the accused were Kotnaka Dev Rao, Godugu Avinash, Mesram Manku, Mesram Deepak, Mesram Chandrakanth, Mesram Eshwer, Mesram Laxman, Anthram Krishna and Pendur Mukund Rao, all natives of Wadgaon and Valgonda villages in Indervelli mandal of Adilabad district. Another person Pendur Dev Rao was still at large.

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Based on a tip-off, Dev Rao and Avinash were apprehended by a special team of foresters led by Adilabad District Forest Officer Rajasekhar, when they were possessing the hide in Kaghaznagar on Saturday evening.

During interrogation, Dev Rao and Avinash confessed to bringing the hide from Manku, Deepak, Chandrakanth, Eshwar and Laxman of Wadgaon village. They revealed that a tiger was electrocuted when it came into contact with an electrified snare set by Pendur Devrao of Wadgaon for preventing the entry of wild boars into his paddy crop last year.

During the raids, the lower jar and bones were found at Penduru Mukund Rao’s house. It was also revealed that the tiger was skinned by Athram Krishna. Foresters believe that the male carnivore inhabiting Tipeshwar Tiger Reserve of Yavatmal district in Maharashtra moved into the Adilabad district.

Meanwhile, mild tension prevailed when the forest authorities detained the tribals at Wadgaon village in Indervelli mandal. Locals and members of tribal organisations tried to barge into the office of the Forest Department and to prevent the foresters from apprehending the accused. They staged a rasta-roko demanding release of the tribals.

They withdrew it when cops handed over a receipt of their petition filed alleging spoilingof the sanctity of their homes.

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