Leopards were killed with blunt weapons

07-04-2010
Leopards were killed with blunt weapons
Times of India
http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Client.asp?showST=true&login=default&Enter=true&Skin=TOINEW&GZ=T&Daily=TOIA&AW=1270627100890

The four accused, who were nabbed by forest officials from Vijaynagar in Sabarkantha district for leopard skin trading last week, were denied bail under Wildlife Protection Act.

The forest officials said that the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report on the skin states that the leopards were killed with a blunt weapon such as club or stones.

DK Sharma, chief conservator of forest (wildlife crime), told TOI that the case was important as it has exposed the inter-state nexus between the traders. "The accused have been denied bail and the hunt for the main accused in the case — Babu Modhiya, who is believed to be hiding in Rajasthan, is on. Rajasthan police has been informed about him," he said.

The four accused arrested include Prakash Patel, a driver with forest department, Deepak Parmar, from Ahmedabad, Shyam Mohan Patel, a land broker in Amreli and Lakshman Patel a resident of Vijaynagar, Sabarkantha. The four were arrested while selling leopard skin as that of a tiger's. The skin was around a year old and likely of leopard cub, added officials.