Dealer of animal body parts held after approaching Maneka

The accused Raj Harminder Singh did not know Gandhi's credentials as an activist and contacted her after an east Delhi businessman gave him her number saying she deals in sale and purchase of animal skin and body parts, police said today.

He allegedly rang up Gandhi and fixed a meeting on October 22 at her residence to finalise the deal, a senior police official said. "Gandhi informed us about it. She told us that a man had approached her on phone asking whether she was interested in buying an ivory necklace," the official said.

The BJP leader posed as a decoy and asked him to come to her house and a deal was struck for Rs 8.5 lakh. Police was informed and a team was deployed at her house to apprehend him.

Singh, a resident of Rohini, was apprehended when he reached her house. He allegedly procured this ivory necklace from an unknown person in Chandni Chowk. Police is looking for the person who gave him the ivory-necklace.

Singh was duped into believing that a businesswoman was staying in 14-Ashoka Road who is interested in buying such articles. The man gave the address and mobile contact of Gandhi to Singh.

A case has been registered against Singh under relevant sections of Wild Life Protection Act.