Sacked Delhi Police constable held for killing of 10 leopards in Kuno National Park
A former Delhi Police constable has been apprehended for allegedly participating in an interstate leopard poaching ring. Authorities are probing the possible links of a wildlife conservation NGO to these illicit acts. The arrest came after ten leopard skins were discovered in Agra, prompting additional inquiries. Eight individuals have already been detained, and the ongoing investigation seeks to…
In a significant development in the investigation surrounding the killing of ten leopards in the Kuno-Chambal landscape, the Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force (STSF) has apprehended a dismissed Delhi Police constable, Bhagwan Singh alias Salim. Salim is believed to be a crucial link in an interstate poaching and smuggling network.
The probe into this case has now expanded to investigate the possible involvement of a prominent wildlife conservation NGO, with investigators seeking to determine if the killings were executed under a potential 'contractual poaching' arrangement.
Salim, who resided in Bijwasan, southwest Delhi, was apprehended in the national capital on Tuesday by a joint team comprising STSF and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau. He will be taken before a special court in Shivpuri, where STSF is anticipated to seek forest remand for his comprehensive interrogation. The arrest occurred following the seizure of ten leopard skins in Agra on July 23, which prompted the investigation to delve into the Kuno-Chambal forests in Madhya Pradesh.
Subsequently, STSF teams arrested eight suspects and recovered leopard body parts, skeletons, and three specialized leg-hold traps from Sheopur and Morena districts. These eight suspects are currently incarcerated.
The potential involvement of the NGO in this case is among the lines of inquiry being scrutinized, according to sources. The investigation aims to ascertain if the organization had any direct or indirect connection to the suspected poaching network and, if so, the motive behind such activities.
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