Leopard skin smugglers beaten severely by investigation officers

VISAKHAPATNAM: Four accused persons in the smuggling of leopard skin were allegedly severely beaten by the officials who arrested them on Tuesday. Three out of four accused persons were allegedly beaten on their buttocks and shoulders. Particular body parts of them were turned into blue due to the severe beating with sticks or some others and the alleged act of the concerned has become controversial now.

The accused persons' advocate Salim demanded the court take action against the officers responsible for the act and register a case under section 330 of IPC. Advocate Salim is the lawyer for the accused person, Junipalli Srinivasa Rao, in the attack on YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in Visakhapatnam Airport.

It is recalled that the officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence arrested four persons, including two belonging to Vizag and another two from Odisha, on Tuesday morning for having possession of leopard skin. The four persons are allegedly smuggling the leopard skin. Revenue intelligence officials seized the skin of the leopard, a four-wheeler, one two-wheeler, and five mobile phones. They handed over the case to the Forest Department.

The arrested persons Farooq (52), Khasim, Feroz, and Altaf violated the Wild Life Protection Act 1972 as they were smuggling the skin of a leopard which comes under Schedule I of the Act. Having possession of the leopard skin is a crime that comes under section 9, 39(b), 49 B, 50 (1) of b and c, 51 and 52 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

Advocate Salim alleged that the accused persons were severely beaten by the investigation authorities for totally violating sections 50,54 and 57 of CrPC. “The authorities have not allowed me to interact with accused persons. They were taken to the CMM court judge’s house late at night on Wednesday. Section 330 of the IPC case should be registered against the police who had beaten them,” he demanded.