Nine held for possession of tiger, panther skins

Erode (TN), Mar 3 (PTI) Nine persons, including a woman, were arrested in Pollachi in nearby Coimbatore district for possession of tiger and panther skins, Erode District Forest Conservator said. According to Erode District Conservator of Forests, Arun, a team of Forest Department personnel in plainclothes travelled to Dharapuram in nearby Tirupur district yesterday following a tip-off. One of the officers, posing as a civilian, met Jailani, one of the accused, to purchase tiger skin, he said. Jailani demanded Rs five crore for the skin and took the undercover officer to Pollachi yesterday night, where he was shown the skins of a tiger, four panthers and a black panther, he said. He added that when the wildlife skin traders ultimately agreed to sell all the skins for a combined Rs one crore, the officer said he had to consult his friends before paying the sum, following which he informed the other officials waiting nearby. The accused persons, including Parameswari, in whose house the incident took place, were promptly rounded up and the wildlife skin were seized. The accused were booked under section nine of the Wildlife Protection Act, he said.

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/nine-held-for-possession-of-tiger-panther-skins/596495.html