19-year-old student held with tiger skin

NASHIK: The Sarkarwada police have arrested a 19-year-old fashion designing student with a tiger skin that he was planning to sell for Rs 25 lakh.
Omkar Rajendra Aher, a resident of Gajra Park at Kamodnagar in the Indiranagar area, has been booked under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Police have seized the skin and forest department officials confirmed that it was of a tiger.Police officers said the skin would be sent to a laboratory in Hyderabad for further investigation.
Aher, a resident of Gajra Park at Kamodnagar in the Indiranagar area, had struck a deal with a person to sell the tiger skin for Rs 25 lakh.
After getting information that the skin was supposed to change hands near Big Bazaar on College Road, policelaid a trap and arrested the teenager around 8pm on Wednesday.
Deputy commissioner of police Laxmikant Patil said, "Aher claimed that the skin has been in his house since long. It will be clear whether he is telling us the truth or he got the skin from some other person after investigation."
The officer added that the person got to know that Aher was trying to sell the tiger skin. "He contacted Aher and asked him to come to the Big Bazaar area. At the same time, the person informed the police. Following this, the trap was laid and Aher was arrested."
Senior police inspector (Sarkarwada police station) Seetaram Kolhe said Aher came to the spot with the tiger skin in a school bag. "As soon as police got confirmation that Aher was in the area, he was arrested and the tiger skin seized," he added.
The officer said police were ascertaining if the teenager, who was pursuing a diploma in fashion designing from a private institute here, was involved in any racket.