NAGPUR: Investigating officials from Melghat on Sunday evening arrested one more person to help tiger poachers lay metal traps in Ghatang range where a tiger and a bear were killed.
The accused from Masondi village has been identified as Madhu. The trap in which a tiger was killed belonged to Madhu. Melghat officials confirmed the arrest. With this, the number of arrested persons in the case has gone up to five.
Officials said at least three metal traps were laid in one sq km area at the spot in Ghatang in which a tiger and bear were killed last month. Unconfirmed reports say a leopard was also killed.
"Madhu collaborated with the poachers. We are tracing his call records to expose the nexus with culprits," they said.
The investigating officials from Nagpur took the three poachers Badlu (Mamru) and Chika, from Sagoni in Damoh district and Siri from Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh, to Kamptee near Nagpur on Sunday evening to seek more information. Both, along with other gang members, had stayed in a makeshift camp. Some residents also identified them. Both have admitted to have killed the Ghatang tiger in May.
Sources said that after the tiger had been caught in the trap, an accomplice of the Mamru and Chika, whom the two have identified as Arkas, killed the beast by spearing it inside its mouth and then bludgeoning it to death with a stick. This is a known method to kill tigers and leopards so that their skin, which is highly prized, does not get damaged.
After the beast died, Mamru skinned it. The arrested duo also revealed names of their gang members who are feared to have killed around 11 tigers in different places in Central India.
After Holi, some gang members had also stayed in Amdi near Mansar and traded five tiger skins and body parts at Bhandarbodi near Ramtek to a Delhi-based agent named Sarju. Sarju is said to be a close aide of Haryana-based poacher Ranjit Singh, who killed two tigers here.
Even as wildlife wing officials claimed the probe was heading in right direction, no dedicated team has been set up to exclusively probe the poaching case whose implications are becoming widespread.
However, V K Sinha, additional principal chief conservator of forests (APCCF) for ecotourism, said the team will be set up when the need is felt. "Officials from MP and Maharashtra have already exchanged information on poachers and their whereabouts. They were in Nagpur on Sunday. We are matching inputs from both sides," Sinha told TOI.
On confusion about transferring the case to Amravati court, Sinha said there is no confusion and it will be done at the right time.
