Tiger hide seized in Seoni, one held

BHOPAL: A 41-year-old man was arrested by state forest officials in Seoni district while trying to sell a tiger hide . The arrest was made late on Monday night from Potlai village - 25 km from district headquarters. One of the accused managed to escape as it was dark. Teams have been dispatched for his arrest. The officials also had a confrontation with the locals as the accused raised an alarm for help.

Government vehicles were damaged and the police dial 100 vehicle had to intervene.

Officials say they had a tip-off about Hemchand Bhalavi that he was looking for a customer to sell a tiger hide to. A trap was laid using a decoy customer and Bhalavi was asked to come with the hide at a farm for the final deal. When hde and his son-in-law reached the spot with the hide in a sack, forest officials arrested him. The son-in-law ran away screaming for help.

He told the locals that they were attacked by robbers. When the forest officials were returning, they were waylaid and surrounded by a team of villagers. When dial 100 vehicle reached the spot upon receiving information, the villagers started pelting stones at it. It took another hour for the police and forest officials to convince the villagers that they had arrested a poacher with tiger hide. Forest officials have confiscated the hide and a knife from the possession of the accused. He is being interrogated for more details.