ACF Shankar Pandhre had busted a blue bull poaching case on November 21 in Khapri village in Chimur range following a tip-off from Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI). Officials had arrested four poachers and recovered two muzzle loading guns, poaching and chopping material and 6 kg blue bull meat during the raids.

"As the investigations progressed, we came to know that it is a big racket of poachers who hunt herbivores for bushmeat with muzzle loading guns. Names of two specialist firearm manufactures too have surfaced during the investigation and one of them Namdeo Atram has been arrested from Waigaon. The third muzzle loading gun has been seized from Atram's possession," said ACF Pandhre.

Central India director of WPSI Nitin Desai who had given the tip-off said, "This case highlights the huge demand for bushmeat in rural areas. Seizure of three muzzle loading guns in Chandrapur district in just one case highlights the seriousness of the issue not just from wildlife point of view but also from national security angle given the close proximity of sensitive and Naxal-infested Gadchiroli district. There could be a local gang that is manufacturing these crude and dangerous firearms."

Corroborating Desai's observations, Pandhre said of the 13 poachers arrested, 11 were actively involved in blue-bull poaching case. Atram turned out to be a big fish as one gun and a cache of poaching material, wire traps, wire bundles, battery-powered torch, bulk of gun-powder and shrapnel used in gun were recovered from his possession.

"Apparently, Atram manufactures illegal firearms and had supplied one of the two guns used in the poaching of blue bull. At least, three cases of poaching against him are underway in the court. Name of another supplier of firearm, who supplied the other gun recovered earlier from poachers, too has surfaced and a team has been dispatched to nab him in Bhandara district," Pandhre told. He did not rule the possibility of these poachers being involved in poaching of tigers and other predators.

While man-hunt is underway for the poachers involved in blue-bull poaching, one of the accused, Jagdish Aloney consumed poison to escape the arrest at the hands of forest officers. Sources claimed that when team of foresters raided his house in village Colari, he fled into the adjacent feilds. As forest employee rushed behind him, he consumed poison before their eyes. He was rushed to Nagpur for emergency treatment and is now reported out of danger. One other accused poacher too is absconding in the case.

POACHERS ARRESTED SO FAR

Kisan Shrirame, Diwakar Waghmare, Kawdu Nannaware, Lomeshwar Shende, Vinayak Chavan, Patru Shende, Narayan Bagde, Shankar Gharat, Wagtam Nagose, Sunil Munghate, Jitendra Nagdevte, Sanjay Kirimkar, Nagdeo Atram