`Pilibhit tigers were poisoned` two accused sent to jail
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The Times of India
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Lucknow
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19 Jul 2012
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The two tigers which were killed back to back in Pilibhit in May were "poisoned", postmortem report has confirmed. The forest department has arrested two persons in this connection. Their bail has been rejected and the duo has been sent to jail.
"Three others who were partners in the crime are absconding and we are trying to trace them," said divisional forest officer, Pilibhit, VK Singh. The arrested accused are Ashwaq, resident of Dhakka village, and Lalla of Narosa village. On May 24, the carcass of an adult tiger, about 12 years old, was found in a water body in Haripur range of Pilibhit. Another adult tiger was found dead in the same range on May 25. Both the carcasses were found barely 250 metres away from each other.
On May 26, a half-eaten carcass of a buffalo calf was found at the same place where the first tiger`s carcass was found. This indicated a foul play in the tiger deaths. The forest department had registered a case into the deaths. Besides, forest ranger, deputy ranger and a forest guard were suspended for laxity. The postmortem report said the insecticide of `organochloro group` was used to kill the tigers.
Though the first carcass, which was found on May 24, was rotten and had been nibbled by fish, the second carcass was not decayed. "What proves it to be a retaliatory act is the fact that the carcasses were intact and no organ was missing," DFO said.
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