×
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Forest dept arrests informant in BRT Tiger Reserve

Officials recover tiger bones, skull and nails from the accused
Last Updated 03 October 2015, 19:22 IST

 The Forest department officials from Biligiri Ranga Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve have seized six kgs of tiger bones, a tiger skull and nails from the department’s informant.

The officials on Thursday afternoon arrested Selva Kumar (43), a resident of Netupalyam, Tamil Nadu.

He is a farm worker near Bhavanisagar and an informant to the department, through a leading non-governmental organisation (NGO) working in the wildlife sector.

Kumar was arrested at Punjur on National Highway 209, which connects Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

He has been booked under Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Officials said the other
accused are still at large.

The arrest has created a rift between the department officials, their informants and the NGOs, who work in coordination in all cases.

NGOs cry foul

“Selva Kumar is one of the informants of the department. We, along with him, and the department officials, had planned to nab poachers from Tamil Nadu. So, a raid plan was made and some people including Selva Kumar were sent as decoys. One of the informants caught the suspect. But there was some delay by the Forest department in nabbing the suspect. Making most of the opportunity, the suspect and rest of the informants ran away. They left the material behind.

“In order to set things together, the department arrested Selva Kumar. If this is the case, then the department will lose faith and their informants, because, the first task of the police or the Forest department is to protect their informants and not book cases against them,” said the head of a leading non-government organisation (NGO), who did not want to be named.

Investigation in progress

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Conservator of Forests and Director of Biligiri Ranga Temple Tiger Reserve S S Lingaraju said that investigation is still on and details will be divulged later.

“There are many people involved in this case —department officials, informants, poachers and NGOs. I do not want to get into what people are saying right now. I have arrested Selva Kumar with tiger bones, skull and nails as per WPA rules.

“The investigation is on and it will reveal all details. The details of the other accused, who are absconding will also be known later. The seized material will be sent for forensic tests,” he said.

S S Lingaraju, Conservator of Forests and Director of Biligiri Ranga Temple Tiger Reserve: There are many people involved in this case - department officials, informants, poachers and NGOs. I do not want to get into what people are saying right now. I have arrested Selva Kumar with tiger bones, skull and nails as per WPA rules. Investigation is on and it will reveal all details. The details of the other accused, who are absconding will also be known later. The seized material will be sent for forensic tests.

ADVERTISEMENT
(Published 03 October 2015, 19:22 IST)

Follow us on

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT