NAGPUR: Even as the forest department is grappling with investigations and evidences in the tiger poaching cases, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) based in Delhi has exuded confidence that notorious tiger skin and body parts trader will be nabbed soon.
Deputy director of WCCB Nishant Verma told TOI on Friday that Maharashtra forest department has sought help from WCCB, which is a statutory body constituted on June 6, 2007, by amending the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Verma admitted that on July 3, the state forest department officials had sent a report to WCCB and sought leads and help from the bureau in nabbing the absconding tiger poachers.
"We are in touch with Melghat officials where the poachers targeted tigers. We have sought call detail reports (CDRs) of Sarju from Punjab and Haryana. A team has also been set up to nab the culprits," Verma said.
Verma added the WCCB here was behind Sarju and expressed confidence he will be nabbed soon. However, this will be no excuse for the investigating officials here to sit quiet.
The CDR of Sarju as reported by the TOI on Friday reveals that he must be having permanent local contacts in the city and Kamptee, which need to be explored with the help of police officials.
Meanwhile, the forest department will move an application in the high court seeking transfer of Ghatang tiger poaching case in Melghat to Amravati court from Nagpur. Besides, the case related to tiger skins deal will be tried here.
All the five Baheliya poachers Mamru, Chika, Siri, Yarlen and Barsul have been remanded to magisterial custody till July 23 and 30. However, all the accused have filed bail applications. The court has sought say of the forest department before granting bail to the accused.
SIT to probe poaching case
In another development, the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), SWH Naqvi, has sent a proposal to the state government to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) consisting of forest and police officials. Earlier, a five-member team was constituted to probe the matter but it seems to have died a natural death as the team made no headway.
