Bhubaneswar: A leopard skin was seized from the possession of a person who was arrested from a place near Baramunda in Bhubaneswar Monday, officials said Tuesday.
Officials of Special Task Force (STF) of Odisha Crime Branch identified the accused as Prasant Kumar Naik, son of Baidyanath Naik of Radanga village under Kuliposi police limits in Mayurbhanj district. He works as a driver with SOA University.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of STF officials conducted a raid at a place near the Baramunda Kali Temple in the capital city. They were tipped off that a person was to sell a leopard skin somewhere near the Kali Temple. They zeroed in on Naik due to his abnormal behaviour. Following a search, they found a leopard skin kept in his motorcycle dickey.
The accused was arrested after he could not produce any valid authority in support of his possessing the hide. He was produced in the court of SDJM, Bhubaneswar Tuesday.
A case under Sections 379 and 411 of the IPC and 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act has been registered in this connection. The leopard hide will be sent to the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun for chemical examination.
A detailed probe is underway.
PNN