Two held with leopard skins in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], March 3 (ANI): Police have arrested two persons in connection with the smuggling of leopard skins in the Kanker district of Chhattisgarh.

The accused persons were arrested on Wednesday night on Kanker-Narharpur road in the district, said a police officer on Friday.
“From the possession of the arrested duo, the team has seized two leopard skins and the estimated value of the seized skins would be around Rs 20 lakh,” police said.

Acting on a precise tip-off that two persons were carrying leopard skins for selling, a joint team of police and forest department swung into action and intercepted the duo Wednesday night, said Kanker Superintendent of Police (SP) Shalabh Kumar Sinha.

The SP further informed that the arrested accused persons were identified as Raitu Ram Korram (27) and Teju Ram Kashyap (19), both natives of Kondagaon.

“During questioning, the accused duo revealed that they had procured the skins from Jaitu Korram and Phool Ram, of Kondagaon district, and arrived in Kanker district in search of customers. A probe has been launched to ascertain the role of Jaitu and Phool Ram in poaching of leopards,” said the officer.

The accused duo was booked under relevant sections of the Wildlife Conservation Act and they were produced before the local court from where they were sent to judicial custody, the officer said.