Several teams of the district police began simultaneous raids at about a dozen places in the country this evening to apprehend the seven accused, including former cricketer Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, in the black-buck poaching case.

Seven of the eight accused have been evading interrogation for the past several days. They had been given time till 5 p. m. today to appear before the Investigating Officer of the case.

Superintendent of Police Hanif Qureshi said the police teams had reached these places earlier in the day and raids began in Gurgaon, Pataudi, Delhi, Bhopal and Hyderabad as soon as the deadline expired. If any of the accused, who were evading interrogation, if found would be arrested and would then be produced in the Special Environment Court in Faridabad.

He clarified that at this stage the police need not procure their arrest warrants from a court. The police could legally arrest them without a warrant.

A big team of mediapersons had descended on the judicial courts complex here in the hope that Pataudi and the other co-accused might surrender in a court rather than appear before the police. However, the vigil proved to be fruitless. Outdoor broadcasting vans of TV news channels remained parked at the courts complex and the office of the SP throughout the day.

A local lawyer, who claimed to be representing Pataudi, said the former cricketer was unlikely to surrender or appear before the police without first seeking anticipatory bail from the Special Environment Court in Faridabad.

“This is his legal right. Besides, no summons have so far been served on him personally. Pasting the summons on the doors of his servants’ quarters does not mean these have been served on the person concerned”, he added.