A day after Punjab Wildlife Department booked Gunraj Singh, former wildlife warden of Hoshiarpur, for poaching the latter has accused the authorities of “conspiring to silence him”.

Also a prime witness in the peacock poaching case involving former SDM Puneet Goyal, Gunraj Singh says he has faced action for “exposing the forest mafia in Punjab which is clearing swathes of forest land of trees.” His partner in the cause Mr Sukhdeep Bajwa, another witness in the peacock poaching case, meanwhile apprehends similar action by the authorities, besides fearing for his life and that of his family’s.

Working against forest mafia, Gunraj Singh and Bajwa (another key witness in peacock poaching case) recently filed a PIL against illegal felling of trees by Punjab Forest Department. The PIL came in the wake of Punjab’s ranking dropping in the State of Forests Report 2003. Where its area under forest was 2432 sq km in 2001, it declined to 1580 sq km in 2003. Between these two years, Punjab slipped from 11th to 35th position among Indian states and UTs.

Following the PIL in Punjab and Haryana High Court, Secretary Forests, Punjab even gave an undertaking that the Department would not issue any permit for felling of trees unless the same is explicitly permitted by the High Court.

The felling however continued, and yesterday when the Forest team raided Gunraj Singh’s farm house in Hoshiarpur, he along with Bajwa was showing the SDM and other officers the spots of illegal felling in Kukanet area of Hoshiarpur.

Gunraj Singh today said he had been framed in the case. He also fears for his life and that of his family, especially after he was attacked in Hoshiarpur recently. A case was registered following the attack. While Gunraj Singh is absconding, it is strange to recall that he had reported some cases of sambar poaching as honorary wildlife warden Hoshiarpur. He had even rescued some animals.

And though he maintains he has not visited his farmhouse for several days, the officer who coordinated the raid says he is accused for poaching the sambar. Mr Swaran Singh, Chairman, Flying Squad, Punjab Wildlife Department, told The Tribune today that he had received highly confidential information about a sambar’s remains being buried in Gunraj Singh’s farmhouse.

After the raid, forest department team recovered legs and bones and skin of the sambar from the indicated spot. Also, Mr Swaran Singh ruled out the possibility of the recoveries being planted saying, “We kept the information secret. There is no question of a goof up.”

DFO, Dasua Mr Amit Mishra who raided the farmhouse however does not rule out the possibility of sambar remains being planted there although he says the owner and his workers could also be responsible. “The farmhouse is spread over more than 50 acre. There is no fencing. It is easy for anyone to enter and plant the animal’s remains. The remains were recovered from just six inches below the ground. I have submitted my report and have suggested further enquiry.”

While the enquiry may or may not be conducted, Gunraj Singh’s workers are under arrest for the violation of Wildlife Protection Act. The Wildlife Department is also on the lookout for Gunraj Singh who, Mr Swaran Singh says, is untraceable.