Suspected poachers remanded to magisterial custody

TNN | Jun 19, 2012, 01.09AM IST CHANDRAPUR: Forest officials investigating the Borda tiger poaching case failed to obtain any concrete evidence about poaching from the five suspects during their forest custody remand. As their FCR ended on Monday, they were remanded to magisterial custody for a week by the court. Five accused poachers were arrested on June 15 on suspicion of their involvement in poaching a tiger whose carcass was found chopped into 11 pieces without head and paws at Borda jungle under Chandrapur forest range. Accused Mengorao Todase, his son Prakash Todase, Swarup Talande, Rambhau Gawde and Ashok Gawde belonged to village Ghanta Chouki and were connected to FDCM as waterhole watchers and casual labourers. Forest officers had managed to recover a bunch of wire snares and some antlers from the accused, but the investigators failed to get any concrete proof of their involvement in tiger poaching. Officers were hoping to gain clues about weapons used to chop the tiger, its missing body parts and other accomplices involved in the poaching. Sources claimed that the accused remained mute over the poaching and continued with evasive answers about closure of waterhole. After their FCR ended on Monday, all of them were produced before the court which sent them into magisterial custody till next Monday. Court will decide over the bail of the accused during next hearing, forest department sources claimed. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Suspected-poachers-remanded-to-magisterial-custody/articleshow/14250296.cms