WARANGAL: Mulugu police on Thursday, which is being celebrated as Global Tiger Day, arrested two persons near Mullakatta bridge in Eturungaram while they were carrying the skin of an adult tiger. The duo was identified as Thirumalesh, a resident of Wazeedu in Mulugu district, and Satyam who hails from Chandur village of Bijapur district in neighbouring Chhattisgarh.
According to Mulugu superintendent of police Sangramsingh G. Patil, the prime accused Thirumalesh used to visit his in-laws’ place in Chandur and made friends locally. About a month back, he received a call from a person who sought him out to find a prospective buyer for a tiger skin.
Thirumlesh reportedly contacted a person who offered to buy the skin for Rs 30 lakh. Thirumalesh stored the tiger skin in the house of another accused, Satyam, in Chandur village. They were bring the skin to Telangana state to sell it when they were caught.
"On receiving information, the forest department officials including FDO Eturunagaram J. Gopal Rao inspected the skin and certified it as authentic tiger skin. Efforts are being made to apprehend the remaining accused in the case. As the offence attracts several penal provisions of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the case is being handed over to forest department for further investigation," SP Patil said.
He appreciated the team including Eturnagaram circle inspector K. Kiran Kumar, sub-inspectors Srikanth Reddy and Shyam Sundar and police constables M. Srinivas, K. Kranthi, K. Venu Kumar, Md Rafi and Md. Taj for apprehending the accused.
