Bhubaneswar: The Special Task Force (STF) of the Odisha Police arrested two persons in Kandhamal district for possessing a leopard skin without valid documentation.
As per reports, the accused, Pradip Mallick (35) and Gutusha Pradhan (56), were caught during a raid and presented before the Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) Court in Phulbani. The STF will send the seized skin to the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in Dehradun for biological examination to determine its authenticity.
On April 21, the Special Task Force (STF) conducted a raid along State Highway No. 1 near Dahapadar Chhak on the Phulbani-Baliguda road, following a tip-off. The operation led to the arrest of Pradip Mallick and Gutusha Pradhan, residents of Budruma village in Kandhamal. A leopard skin and other incriminating materials were seized from their possession.
The STF has registered a case under Sections 303(2), 317(2), and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
