PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Champawat
A joint team of the Special Operations Group (SOG) and Forest department arrested a suspected wildlife smuggler and seized from leopard skin during an operation in the Chalthi area of Champawat district. Notably, the joint campaign to rein in wildlife smuggling in the sensitive forest areas of the district has been going on for some time under the direction of the superintendent of police, Rekha Yadav.
The arrested man is identified as Ishwar Ram alias Deepak (43), a resident of Talli Khatoli and the skin seized measured about 162 cm in length. As per the foresters, the recovered skin is estimated to be about two years old. A case has been registered under relevant sections at the range office, Sukhidhang.
The accused is said to have revealed that a leopard had accidentally got entangled in a snare set to catch wild animals about a year and a half ago and died. He, along with his relative Chandan Ram, had subsequently skinned it.
