Times of India , Thursday, January 24, 2008

Correspondent : Staff Reporter

NAGPUR: In yet another major action, the vigilance wing of the Nagpur Forest Division seized 1,235 dead muniyas (love birds) from two vendors in a raid in Juni Mangalwari area in east Nagpur on Wednesday morning. The two vendors were caught red-handed at around 11.30 am when they were peeling and dressing the birds, said N S Ladkat, divisional forest officer (DFO), Vigilance. The accused, Yashwant Deorao Dayre, 25, and Santosh Baburao Dayre, 35, both cousins and residents of Chichghare Mohalla, were arrested with the seized birds and brought to the department's Civil Lines office for panchnama. "We kept a close watch on the accused for the past eight days. Finally, we were successful in netting them on Wednesday," Ladkat told TOI. "The seizure is just tip of the ice-berg and there are more players in the game whom we're searching for. The customers of such birds are also under scanner," the DFO added. According to Ladkat, the muniyas (Estrildinae) are listed under the Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and are called farmers' friends. The love birds are mostly found near sugarcane and rice fields and feed on the insects that otherwise damage the crop. The birds also play key role in pollination. A primary offence report (POR) 56/4 was registered against the two accused. The team comprised K G Allurkar, ACF, anti-poaching, S B Bhambulkar, RFO, R N Dakhole, S A Ali, L V Borade, Sanjay Khalode and D H Tekade, all forest guards and R T Darode and Mohd Yakub Khan, drivers. The Dayres confessed that they were in the trade for about 30 years and the business has been handed over to them by their forefathers. "Pardhis, a hunting community, kill these birds after netting them in traps in areas like Palandur, Lakhandur, Bhandara and Mouda," said accused Santosh. "Roasted love birds are in great demand in the city. We brought these birds on Tuesday from Mouda and Lakhandur at the rate of Rs 150 for 100 birds. After cleaning and dressing we sell these for Rs 3 per piece. In the three months season, we sell about 30,000 birds," confessed Yashwant, another accused.

SOURCE : Times of India, Thursday, 24 January 2008