Two held for poaching antelope

Hoshiarpur, Apr 8 (UNI) Two people were arrested under the violation of Wildlife Protection Act after a team of Forest Officals recovered the body parts of a sambar (antelope) including legs and skin from a farmhouse in the junglees near Narur village in the district.

The farmhouse is owned by a former wildlife warden Gunraj Singh, who is also wanted in the case and is currently absconding.

A .12 bore gun, one .22 bore gun alongwith 11 cartridges and 205 empties were recovered during the raid at the farmhouse. Those who were taken into custody are Hari Ram and Nanku, both employed by the farmhouse owner.

Giving details of the raid, Director Conservation (Shivalik Circle) Swaran Singh today said the raid was conducted on specific information by a joint team led by District Forest Officer (DFO), Dasuya circle Amit Mathur and DFO (soil), Pathankot, Paramveer Singh. He said the main accused in the case is Gunraj Singh.

Incidentally Gunraj Singh in February 2004 was instrumental in nabbing a former SDM of Pathankot with four dead partridges and two peahens after which a case under the Wildlife Portection Act was registered against the offical.The case is still pending in the judicial courts.

Certain relatives of Gunraj Singh when contacted in Hoshiarpur district said he (Gunraj) had been falsely implicated in the case as he had exposed the misdeeds of a government offical and was currently raising his voice against the felling of trees by officals in the Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur areas.

UNI HS SC HT1220