New Delhi: In a major embarrassment to Madhya Pradesh Police and Forest department, a court in Chhindwara district acquitted four persons, who were arrested on the charges of poaching tigers.
They were acquitted after the forensic experts revealed that the tiger skin was actually a dog skin.
The arrested persons were identified as Sandip Ahiwar, Rajesh Vishwarkama, Ramkumar Ahirwar and Abhijit alias Matru. These persons were nabbed by the police department from Chhindwara's Ranikamath village on July 22, 2017 during a joint operation by the police and forest department.
Initially, it was alleged that the four were trying to sell the skin for Rs 8 lakh when they were caught. After this, the skin was confiscated.
The police charged them under Wildlife Protection Act and sent to jail for a period of 30 days.
Speaking to TOI, their lawyer named Satish Raj said that they all pleaded not guilty and four of them were wrongly implicated by police.
Raj further demanded that senior officers should be investigated for this.
''On October 17, 2017, the school of Wildlife Forensics and Health made it very clear that it was not a tiger skin but of a dog,'' he added.
Police submitted their report before the trial court for years later, in 2021.
The court of Chhindwara chief judicial magistrate took serious note of the matter and acquitted all four.
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