Good Initiative: Squad set up to ban entry into forest

Almost a week after an alleged tiger-poaching case was reported in Jalgaon district, the Forest Department has beefed up security.

The department has now deployed a special squad to restrict entry of villagers and passers-by into the forest.

"We have restricted entry of villagers as we don't want trespassers to take away anything from the forest without permission," said Assistant Conservator of Yawal forest department A U Patil.

"The poaching case has taken a twist with eyewitnesses turning hostile."
Rajendra Nannaware of the School of Environment against whom the forest department plans to file a complaint for allegedly bribing witnesses to give false statements, said, "There are various instances where people poach animals or cut wood from the forest.

The step should have been taken long back. The forest department has finally awakened."

Patil revealed that the eyewitnesses have been called for an inquiry again. "All those people who have given their statement to the media have been called.

We have also called ayurveda practitioner and local teacher Mustafa Thadvi who claimed to have heard the big cat's cries when he was in the forest to pick herbs.

His house is locked and he has not reported to school on duty," said Patil.

According to Patil, everyone is being called again as Jalgaon Collector Niranjan Sudhanshu has asked for an inquiry.

MiD DAY had reported on October 16 that NGOs in Jalgaon had sought a high-level inquiry into the case by the collector, a day after eyewitnesses in the case turned hostile.

The NGOs have now decided to meet the principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), seeking his
intervention in the case.

"We will be meeting him to seek his cooperation. We want the truth to come out," said Abhay Ujagare, wildlife warden of Jalgaon district.

Case History

On October 6, Mustafa Thadvi, an Ayurveda practitioner and a professor, registered a tiger poaching case with the Yawal forest department.

Thadvi said that he was in the forests looking for medicinal herbs when he discovered bloodstains and pugmarks, pointing to the disappearance of a tigress and her two cubs. However, Thadvi later turned hostile.

http://www.mid-day.com/news/2010/oct/181010-Forest-Department-tiger-poaching-case-Jalgaon-ban.htm