Poachers thrive as forest officials neglect prosecution

NAGPUR: At a time when leopard sightings are becoming very rare in protected areas (PAs), the poaching of three of these animals at Dhamnewada in Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary has exposed the lackadaisical attitude of forest officials.

Shockingly, Ravi Dhurve and Nihal Maraskolhe, who were arrested for electrocuting three leopards and a fawn at Dhamnewada on November 30, had poached animals earlier too. On January 16, 2011, they were allowed to go free after killing a bear. Similarly, no charge sheet was filed against Dhurve for killing a chital on April 16.

Official record of detected electrocution deaths between 2001 and 2012 with TOI shows that there is complete apathy on the part of Gondia and Tiroda range forest officers (RFOs) and field staff in nailing culprits. Being close to Nagzira and New Nagzira wildlife sanctuaries, maximum cases are being reported from these two ranges.

The officials are taking no action against people repeatedly laying live wire traps even though they have information about them. The detected cases include over a dozen sloth bears, many nilgai, chital, sambar, wild boar, bison, leopards and even tigers.

Of the 25-30 electrocution cases reported in Tiroda and Gondia ranges during the period, POR (primary offence report) were filed in all the cases but only 50% cases went to court. An equal number of them remained unsolved or forest officials did not take action against the accused.

Court cases are pending since 2001 but are not being pursued. In several cases, charge sheets have not been filed. Six cases of sloth bear electrocution since 2006 remain unsolved in regular poaching pockets of Khursipar, Nimgaon, Indora, Ramatola, Kodelohara, Umarzari, Sarra, Maregaon, Ekodi, Mangezari, Navatola and others surrounding Nagzira and New Nagzira sanctuaries.

"The morale of poachers is high due to this inaction," says honorary district wildlife warden of Gondia, Bhimsen Dongarwar Patil.

"Dhurve is a regular wildlife offender. He has gained notoriety as Gondia's Sansar Chand. He has been let of on several occasions owing to his close affinity to some RFOs," claimed a senior forest official. Sansar Chand was India's biggest wildlife criminal, who is now languishing in a Delhi jail.

RFOs in Gondia division have been posted here for years. VD Meshram, in whose tenure maximum number of poaching cases have been reported, has been posted in Gondia and Tiroda ranges for many years.

Gondia deputy conservator of forests (DyCF) SV Ramarao said that Meshram has been in the division for long but transfer and posting of RFOs was not in his hand. He admitted that Dhurve has been poaching animals in the forest around Nagzira.

"We will investigate all past offences of Dhurve and others," Ramarao assured.

Instead, of pulling up the RFOs and field staff for not doing their job properly, the higher officials are blaming MSEDCL for the deaths of the leopards in Dhamnewada. Ramarao said that MSEDCL is partially responsible, as it did not inform the forest department when the line first tripped on November 28 and then again on November 30. "Had we been informed, the leopards could have been saved," he admitted.

Meanwhile, one more Dhamnewada villager Tekchand Harinkhede was arrested for buying deer meat from Dhurve. "We are in touch with police officials to get Dhurve's remand," said ACF and investigating officer Ashwin Thakkar.