Raipur: Police have arrested five more persons, including two police officials and a government school teacher, in connection with the seizure of a tiger skin. The tiger skin was confiscated in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district, an official said Sunday. With this, total 13 people have so far been arrested in connection with the tiger skin seizure Friday, he informed.
“Five more persons were arrested Saturday from separate places. They were nabbed when their involvement in the case came to light,” Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P said Sunday. Of these, two villagers from Dantewada district were allegedly involved in killing the tiger. They then gave its skin to the other accused, he said.
Eight persons, including five policemen and two health department personnel, were arrested Friday. The tiger skin was found in their possession in Jagdalpur town (Bastar district). They were planning to allegedly perform some rituals with the hide. They had assumed it would bring prosperity to them, the official said.
Two assistant sub-inspectors of police, Santosh Baghel and Ramesh Aganpalli, both posted in Bijapur, were also taken into custody. They were interrogated and then arrested Saturday for their involvement in the crime, informed Sundarraj said.
Besides, Rameshwar Sonwani (56), who is posted as the headmaster of a government school at Tokapal in Bastar, was apprehended by Raipur police’s cyber cell from Abhanpur area of the state capital when he was trying to escape, he said. The two other persons arrested are villagers from Dantewada, he informed.
“The two villagers had allegedly laid a trap to kill a wild boar, but the tiger, around three years old, accidentally fell into it and died. They later gave the tiger skin to the arrested police and government employees,” the official said.
The forest department has registered a case under provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act. Further probe is underway, Sundarraj stated.