Bail denied to Maharashtra forest employee by Madhya Pradesh court

BHOPAL: In a major setback to the Maharashtra forest department, a court in Seoni district of Madhya Pradesh has rejected anticipatory bail plea moved by four of its employees in connection with a case pretraining to the shifting of a tiger carcass across the border.


Recently, the MP high court granted bail to Dham Singh Khandate, a plantation watcher from Maharashtra, who was arrested by MP forest officials in the same case.

Khandate was in custody for over five months. The case has caused a strained relation between the two states as investigators of MP believe the carcass was moved to shift the onus of the death on the state. Maharashtra has denied the claim. MP officials had been pressing for custodial interrogation of four more employees of the neighbouring state on the basis of Khandate’s statement. They are – deputy ranger Irshad Khan, beat guard Prakash Kojote, Raji Songade and Gulab Bisne. Tigress Sharmilee was found dead on December 11, 2019, near Khandasa village, near Maharashtra border.