Three held for trying to sell leopard skins

NEW DELHI - Three men have been arrested for trying to sell leopard and other animal skins, police said Saturday.

Satish Thakur, 27, Vipin Kumar, 28, and Mahender Nath, 21, were arrested Friday from near the Inderlok Metro Station by a joint team of police and the wildlife department officials.

“The three tried to sped away in their car. But they were chased and overpowered. They were carrying a bag with four animal skins, of which two were leopard skins,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (north Delhi) Sagar Preet Hooda said.

Hooda said Thakur had contested the 2007 assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh but lost and was under heavy debt.

“He got in touch with Pradeep Kumar while working in a Manali hotel. Pradeep told him that he had some animal skins and selling them in open market could fetch good money. Thakur involved the others and they all came down to Delhi to sell the skins,” he added.