Gujarat’s Dangs district cops nab 4 for possessing leopard skin

The officers immediately informed their top officials, as this was the first case of a leopard skin being recovered, and all four passengers were arrested and booked under the Wildlife Animal Protection Act.

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The arrested have been identified as Vijay Vasawa, Dinesh Vavaswa and Vijay Gamit, residents of Songadh taluka in Tapi, and Kunwarji Vasawa, a Mandvi taluka resident in Surat. Forest department officials were intimated about the incident.

Forest officials also reached the Ahwa police station, and were present during the interrogation. The arrested were produced before Ahawa court on Tuesday, following which the court remanded the accused for three days of police remand.

It is to be noted that five incidents of leopard killings had been reported from Dangs district in the last year, and police had also made arrests in some cases. It was later found that the leopards were killed by tribals for its paws nails and canine teeth. The tribals kill leopards by sprinkling poison on rotten hen or goat meat.

Speaking to The Indian Express Ahwa police sub inspector H P Gohil said, “At present, they are not disclosing whom they were delivering the leopard skin to. We have got remand and will question them strictly. This is the first time a leopard skin has been recovered in the history of Dangs. During the interrogation, the accused had confessed that they had killed the leopard in Vyara taluka of Tapi district and skinned it. We have also seized the mobile phones, and are probing the case further.”