Duo held for illegally possessing sand boa

PUNE: Bharati Vidyapeeth police have arrested two suspects who were allegedly involved in the trade of wild life animal and rescued a sand boa from their possession during wee hours of Tuesday evening near Katraj. A patrolling team of the police station nabbed the duo after senior police inspector Vijaysinh Gaikwad of Bharati Vidyapeeth police station received a tip off about the duo in the area.Police arrested the duo at Mangadewadi, near Katraj, on Pune – Satara highway. Gaikwad had also informed the Range Forest Officers, Pune district, before arresting the duo. Forest officer Ravindra Magar and his team too participated in the action.
The suspects were found lingering in the Mangadewadi area and police quizzed them. When police and forest authorities checked their bag, a four feet long sand boa was found in the bag. It weighs two kilograms. The two suspects have been identified as Vishal Sudhakar Mate (25) and his accomplice, Ajit Balasaheb Kale (20), both residents of Dive village in Purandar taluka. Forest officer Magar, a resident of Shukrawar Peth, lodged a complaint with the police after the action. The forest officers kept the sand boa at Rajiv Gandhi Zoo at Katraj. The suspects have been arrested under the provisions of Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act.