Gir cops against gang of cheats

18-04-07

Ahmedabad Newsline- Sibte Husain Bukhari

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=232169

 

Junagadh, April 17: While it is almost clear that gangs of tribals hailing from Katni district in MP are behind the poaching of lions in Gir Sanctuary, police and forest department officials are just realising what a cunning and deceitful gang they are up against.

 

The eye-opener is a case that was registered in 2004 against a similar kind of gang that was nabbed by the Junagadh police for being in possession of leopard skin, bones and feathers of some rare birds. All the seven members of the gang, who claimed to be from Katni district in Madhya Pradesh were later released on bail. However, the case has made no progress in the Junagadh court.

 

When the arrest warrants were issued, the police found that the names and addresses of the gang members and the persons who gave surety for bail were all false. A forest department team, which went to Katni district in MP returned empty-handed as they found no one corresponding to the names mentioned in the case papers.

 

Though the police on Saturday arrested a similar gang of tribals from MP, they are not sure if they are telling the truth. “Though they have confessed to killing two lions, they have not yet revealed where they have hidden the claws, skin and bones. They are passing the buck and claiming that the actual people involved have escaped. There is no way of verifying whether the 17 arrested so far have given their real names and addresses and whether their claims that the real accused who have escaped know the whereabouts of the skin, claws and bones. Given the 2004 case, these people cannot be trusted,” a top forest official said.

 

The details of the 2004 case, photographs and other evidence has been passed on to the CID, which is investigating the present poaching cases.

 

The case: On May 17, 2004, seven members — six women and three men — of a tribal gang from Madhya Pradesh were arrested from Palaswa village (near Junagadh). Leopard skin, feathers and some bones were recovered from their possession, and a case (No.1/04-05) was registered against them.

 

Forest officials later learnt that three other men managed to escape from the scene.

 

The gang was produced before the Judicial Magistrate First Class Junagadh who sent them to judicial custody. Though the tribals looked absolutely poor and illiterate, it did not take long for help to reach them while they were lodged in Junagadh Jail. Three persons, claiming to be residents of Bijpur Village of Barhi taluka in Katni District applied for bail on the gang’s behalf in the Junagadh District and Sessions Court, which rejected the bail plea.

 

However, they approached the Gujarat High Court on July 29, 2004, which directed the lower court to grant them conditional bail and a surety of Rs 25,000 per head, which they failed to submit till February 28, 2005. But, on March 1, 2005, all of sudden, the three persons who arrived from Katni, arranged for the bail amount, and the seven accused were released on bail.

 

But, that was just the beginning. As the case came up for hearing, the forest department realised that the accused had all disappeared as none of them were appearing in the court. The court then issued arrest warrants. Determined to bring them back, forest officials and the police went to MP on September 29, 2005. But they soon realised the tribals had pulled a fast one on them.

 

There was no such address in Bijpur village in Katni district that the tribals had given. The forest department also found that documents of names and address proof and other papers produced before the court for seeking bail were all forged and fake.

 

History of lying

* The case: On May 17, 2004, seven people were arrested from Palaswa village (near Junagadh) with Leopard skin, feathers and some bones. It was later learnt that three other men had managed to escape.

* The gang was sent to judicial custody.

* Three persons, claiming to be residents of Bijpur Village in Madhya Pradesh applied for bail on the gang’s behalf in the Junagadh District and Sessions Court, which rejected the bail plea.

* They approached the Gujarat High Court on July 29, 2004, which directed the lower court to grant them conditional bail and a surety of Rs 25,000 per head, which they failed to submit till February 28, 2005.

* On March 1, 2005, all of sudden, the three persons who arrived from Katni, arranged for the bail amount, surety and other documents.

* As the case came up for hearing, the forest department realised that the accused had all disappeared as none of them were appearing in court.

* Forest officials and the police went to MP on September 29, 2005. But they soon realised the tribals had pulled a fast one on them. There was no address in Bijpur village in Katni district that the tribals had given.

* The forest department also found out that documents of names and address proof and other papers produced before the court for seeking bail were all forged and fake.