Deogarh: Forest officials have seized a leopard skin and arrested 7 persons including two from Rajasthan from a ‘dhaba’ in Odisha’s Deogarh district.
According to sources, the Forest department received reliable information that a deal was going on for sale of the leopard skin at the ‘dhaba’ near Rajmunda village under Barkot police station in the district on Sunday. The area comes under Thianal forest section.
A team of Forest officials conducted a raid on the roadside eatery on the basis of the information. During checking, they found a skin of the leopard. They also arrested seven persons who were involved in making a deal for its sale.
The arrested persons included Ashok Bisnoi of Jodhpur and Ajaypal Bisnoi of Kaparda in Rajasthan. Others belonged to villages under Barkot police limits.
The Forest officials also seized two motorcycles and mobile phones from the accused. The arrested persons would be forwarded to the court on Monday, the sources said.
The Forest division has launched investigation to ascertain others involved in the smuggling of wildlife parts and trace some people who managed to escape from dhaba during the raid, they added.
