Lion poaching kingpin in 4-day police remand

28-4-2007

Ahmedabad News Line By Sibte Husain Bukhari

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=233756

 

Junagadh, April 27: The CID (Crime) investigating the lion poaching incidents on Friday produced the kingpin, Sarkaslal Singh, in the court of FCJM at Una, which ordered four-day police remand for the accused. The CID had arrested the kingpin on Thursday but had not disclosed it to the media.

 

After arresting Sarkaslal, the investigating agency had shifted him to an unknown place. Meanwhile, according to sources, names of some more accused in the poaching incidents have surfaced. These names are Sher Singh, Bhavani Singh, Surjan Singh, and Tinter Aadivasi. But it is yet to to be confirmed if they are real names or not.

 

The sources said the probe team had learnt in the tribal belt of MP that poaching was the prime job of tribals and that they were also known to have more than one name.

 

According to the sources, the Parghi community from Madhya Pradesh’s tribal belt has been identified to be involved in the poaching incidents. And there are three-four channels of middlemen who work between the tribals and the real mastermind of poaching.

 

“The real operator always works from behind the scene. The middlemen’s channel even doesn’t know about the contacts, either before him or after him. To nab the real culprits is considered near-impossible and those who had been arrested are just laymen,” said sources. Added an official, “In three poaching incidents of the recent time, a total 29 tribals have been arrested from Una and Bhavnagar. But the important issue is, the bones, skulls and claws of the eight poached lions haven’t been recovered yet.’’