Nagpur: The Amravati forest division personnel raided a farmhouse late on Sunday night and uncovered the killing of four monitor lizards, which had been cooked and served at the party.
Monitor lizards are listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and have equal level of protection as tigers. Their numbers are going down drastically due to poaching for traditional medicine and consumption.
Amravati forest officials were first tipped off on Sunday around 5.30pm about a party being planned at a farmhouse at Pimpalkhuta near Amravati, where monitor lizard meat was to be served.
According to department sources, some of Amravati's influential and affluent people had formed a WhatsApp group, where they used to plan such parties on weekends. This information and pictures of the captured monitor lizards were leaked to wildlife lovers, and subsequently passed on to Amravati forest officials.
Amravati chief conservator of forests (CCF) and chief wildlife warden too were informed about the party. When some officers in Mantralaya too received information of the party, they called up the forest officials, forcing them to swing into action. Help from cyber cell at Melghat was taken to track the accused.
Deputy conservator (DyCF) Hemant Meena swung into action and his team traced the farmhouse at around 1am. "It was difficult to reach the location. By the time we reached the farmhouse of ManojJagtap, the party was over. We nabbed the farmhouse guard, MarotiWaghmare (65), and seized some cooked pieces of meat and an axe used to chop the mammals from the spot," said Meena.
Samples of the seized meat from the spot are likely to be sent for DNA testing.
Sources said Waghmare revealed that Jagtap had invited his friends Ravindra Ingle, an accountant with Ram Meghe College of Engineering, Vilas Dahake of Pimpalkhuta, and six others for the party. Waghmare has been arrested under various sections of Wildlife Protection Act. Meena said teams have been formed to nab the other accused, who have gone into hiding.
Sources said Ingle was in the college on Monday morning but forest officials reached the spot after he had left.
ACFs SD Sonawne, RajendraBonde and Ashok Kavitkar, and Wadali RFO HP Padgavhankar are investigating the matter. According to sources, the accused belong to well-to-do families and are close relatives of influential political leaders, hence the investigations are going slow.
