Ludhiana: 3 leopard skins recovered from house, man arrested

Ludhiana, April 27

A man, Sanjeev Kumar, resident of Prem Vihar on Tibba Road, Ludhiana, has been arrested for allegedly smuggling leopard skins.

According to the Forest Department, three skins of leopards have been recovered from his house.

Sanjeev Kumar was presented before the court on Wednesday and remanded in one-day police custody.

Shaminder Singh, Forest Range Officer, Ludhiana, said they received a tip-off, after which a joint raid was conducted by a team of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau from Delhi and Forest Department, Ludhiana, on Monday night on the house of Sanjeev Kumar. “We recovered three leopard skins from his house. The leopard skins, packed in a cloth and plastic carry bag, were hidden on the roof of his house,” he said.

He said, “As per the condition of the recovered leopard skins, it seems these are about one year old. Sanjeev Kumar has not revealed anything about the recovered leopard skins. He was presented before the court today and he was remanded in one-day police custody.”

Following a complaint filed by Forest Range Officer Shaminder Singh, a case under Sections 2, 9, 39, 44, 50 and 51 of the Wild Protection Act-1972 was registered against Sanjeev Kumar at the Tibba police station, Ludhiana, on April 26. Sub-Inspector Baldev Singh is investigating the matter.