DEHRADUN: In one of the biggest poaching seizures in recent times in the state, five tiger skins were seized in Haridwar forest division, from poachers last month. Four of the tigers killed were from Corbett. Forest officials had termed it the biggest poaching case in the state since the time five elephants were poached in Corbett in 2001. But, apart from the transfer of one forest ranger, nothing much seems to have happened in the case.
The main accused Ram Chander, belonging to Bawaria gang, who was caught red handed with skin had admitted to killing tigers in Corbett which was further corroborated by Wildlife Institute of India (WII) by matching stripes of four of five tiger skins with those camera trapped by WII scientists in Corbett.
Expressing deep concern at the way matters stand, SK Chandola, former principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), said,"We all are saddened over tigers killing in our territory. So we must fix the responsibility and punish those responsible for lapses. We must take stringent action to give a befitting reply to poachers who dare to kill our wild animals."
Rajender Kumar Mahajan, PCCF of Uttarakhand, said, "I have sought details of the investigation of tiger poaching from PCCF wildlife. It is an extremely serious matter."
PCCF (wildlife ) DVS Khati said, "The spots shown by Ram Chander where the tigers were poached are on the border of Lansdowne and Corbett. We also arrested one more Bawaria from Haryana, but he could not tell us much. So nothing much has come out of investigation so far."
Meanwhile, a section of forest officials have questioned the rationality of forming the investigative team under director of Corbett Tiger Reserve in whose area the crime is alleged to have been committed.
