HC stays suspension of jail to tiger poacher Bhajan

Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court, on Saturday, granted stay on Amravati sessions court’s order of suspending five-year imprisonment for notorious tiger poacher Bhajan Dhurve. Bhajan was not only involved in many poaching cases but also served as an important link between poachers and traders. He was convicted by Amravati additional chief judicial magistrate SB Mane on January 29, 2016, for poaching a tiger in Dhakna in Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR) in 2013. In February 2016, Bhajan had filed an application for suspension of his sentence after which the matter came up for hearing before Amravati principal district judge PK Chavan, who suspended the sentence. The forest department challenged the ruling in Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court. After hearing the arguments put forth by forest department’s Special Counsel Kartik Shukul, a single judge bench of Justice ZA Haq stayed the sessions court’s order of suspending his sentence and strictly directed not to release him on bail until further orders of the court. The forest department had approached HC primarily on the grounds that the accused was a habitual offender and has no permanent address. Bhajan is an expert in killing big cats and used to operate in forests of Vidarbha. He had conspired to kill a tiger with other poachers inside MTR and is also wanted in poaching of leopard in Ghatang in Melghat. Bhajan and his accomplice Shiri were caught by Melghat cyber cell officials dramatically after a hot chase. He also played a key role as mediator and helped notorious tiger skin trader Ranjit Bhatia to poach tigers in MTR. Bhajan is presently lodged in Amravati Central Jail. From experience, forest department has learnt that once released, poachers never turn up to attend cases and again get into poaching tigers. TOI had earlier reported how poacher Kuttu escaped from police custody near Sakoli. Earlier, woman poacher Minar jumped off the train to escape but was caught after suffering injury. Since 2009, tiger poacher Keru wanted in tiger skin seizure by CBI has never turned up.