Two arrested with animal hides

BHOPAL - Two people were arrested with 13 skins of wild animals during a joint operation launched by police and forest officials in Rewa district of Madhya Pradesh, an official said Monday.

Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of 100 police personnel and 50 forest department officials raided three villages and arrested Ramadhar Saket (60) and Prem Lal (28) from Ragauli area. The accused have been booked under various sections of the Wildlife Act.

“While 11 skins — eight skins of blue bulls, two of sloth bear and one of hyena — were confiscated from Prem Lal’s house, three skins of sambhar were recovered from Saket,” District Forest Officer Ajay Yadav said.

“Initial examination of the skins revealed that all the animals had been shot dead. There are bullet holes in the skins,” Yadav said, adding that the animals were killed recently.

“Those arrested used to skin the animals while the people who are suspected to have gunned down the animals are still at large and efforts are on to arrest them,” Yadav said.

During interrogation, the accused revealed that the animals were killed in Sameria forest area, which has become a favourite hunting spot for a section of rich locals in the district, official sources said.