Bhubaneswar: Special Task Force (STF) of the Crime Branch on Sunday night seized a leopard skin and arrested a wildlife criminal from Manipadar village under Phiringia police station in Kandhamal district.
The accused wildlife criminal has been identified as Belarsen Kanhar (43) of Kurkanapali (Kelapada) under Phiringia police limits of Kandhamal district.
The STF has seized a leopard skin, Rs 5,500 in cash and other incriminating materials from Kanhar’s possession during the raid.
According to an official press release, acting on a tip-off STF with the help of Kandhamal police conducted a raid at Manipadar village under Phiringia police station on Sunday night which led to the arrest and seizures.
The STF has registered a case under 379, 411 sections of the IPC read with section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
The release said that the accused will be forwarded to the Court of SDJM, Phulbani.
The leopard skin will be sent to the Director, WII, Dehradun for biological examination.
The accused was earlier involved in a case registered at Kodala Police Station in 2016. He was booked under sections 342, 343, 364-A, 365, 385, 387, and 34 of IPC, the release further stated.
