Special efforts to check forest crimes

43 forest criminals sentenced in 20 cases, Rs 2 crore assets sezied

Bhopal:Sunday, July 19, 2009:Updated 19:30IST Special efforts have been undertaken to check forest crimes during the last couple of months. A number of forest criminals who were hand in glove with criminals of other states were caught and tried at Katni. The Katni court has sentenced 43 forest criminals in 23 cases. Assets worth about Rs 2 crore have also been seized from these criminals by Enforcement Directorate. The regional office of Government of India’s Wildlife Crime Control Board at Jabalpur has especially honoured officers of Katni for their efforts of curbing forest crimes.
Giving this information, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) said that Daru alias Daura Pardhi was wanted by Gujarat CID’s crime branch. An arrest warrant was sent by them to Divisional Forest Officer, Katni Shri AK Baronia.
A special team in the presence and guidance of Katni DFO arrested Daru alias Daura Pardhi son of Harprasad Pardhi, a resident of Viruhli on July 16, 2009. Daru has been charged with poaching lions in Gujarat and is wanted in Maharashtra and Karnataka also. The Wildlife Protection Society of India has also played an important role in this arrest.
It may be mentioned that during the year 2008, as many as 43 forest criminals have been sentenced in 20 forest related crimes in Katni forest division. They include two inter-state forest criminals Shabbir Qureshi and Dariya. The court has sentenced Qureshi in just 9-10 months. The Enforcement Directorate also seized property worth about Rs 2 crore from Qureshi.
Dariya Singh who was arrested by personnel of Katni forest division is also a notorious forest criminal. There were cases pending against him at Pinjore in Haryana, Bahraich in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for smuggling of hides of tigers and leopards and their bones.