One more arrested in Rajura tiger poaching case; SIT arrives in Chandrapur

Chandrapur: In a fresh development in the ongoing probe into the tiger poaching racket in Rajura forest range, another accused Sonu Bhatia has been arrested, taking the total number of arrests in the case to eight.Sonu, a member of the notorious Bawariya poaching gang, hails from Hoshiarpur in Punjab. He was nabbed by Gadchiroli forest officials a few days ago when he appeared before the Gadchiroli court in connection with a 2023 tiger poaching case. Sonu was among the 13 Bawariya poachers that reportedly poached at least six tigers in Gadchiroli, sources said.The Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Chandrapur, which is probing the poaching nexus, took his custody from the Gadchiroli forest department and brought him to Rajura. He was produced before the JMFC court and remanded in forest custody till February 7. Officials claim that the Baheliya and Bawariya poaching gangs are closely linked and operate using a similar modus operandi. DCF, Central Chanda Forest Division, Sweta Boddu confirmed the arrest of Sonu Bhatia and his FCR up to February 7.Meanwhile, a high-level SIT formed following the nationwide Red Alert issued by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has arrived in Chandrapur. The team comprises officials from WCCB, the Madhya Pradesh Tiger Strike Force (MPTSF), and the Maharashtra forest department. They have begun interrogating the arrested poachers, including middleman Lalneisung, a 50-year-old ex-serviceman who was apprehended from Shillong on January 30.As investigations intensify, key accused and gang leader Ajit Rajgond, along with other members, continue to maintain silence. With their custody set to end on Tuesday, the forest department is likely to seek an extension to extract more details from the accused, sources said.