Ludhiana: Forest department bust racket involved in smuggling wild boars

The accused, Manjit Singh of Hisar, Haryana, is an aide of Khanna Kumar of Balmiki Colony, Dholewal,Ludhiana, — who is already facing trial in a similar smuggling case; the accused, Khanna Kumar, meanwhile, was earlier booked by Division number 6 police on November 13 for selling wild boars and is currently at large

The forest department busted a racket involved in smuggling wild boars from Rajasthan with the arrest of a Dholewal resident, recovering 49 alive and six dead boars crammed in a pick-up jeep.

Range officers had nabbed Manjit, involved in smuggling wild boars from Rajasthan , on October 3 near Jalaldiwal village at Raikot-Barnala road in Ludhiana following a tip-off. (HT FILE PHOTO)

The accused, Manjit Singh of Hisar, Haryana, is an aide of Khanna Kumar of Balmiki Colony, Dholewal, — who is already facing trial in a similar case.

Range officers had nabbed Manjit on October 3 near Jalaldiwal village at Raikot-Barnala road following a tip-off. He was driving a Mahindra Bolero pick-up jeep with 55 wild boars, six of which had died. The driver had at the time said he was transporting domestic pigs, following which the department took the animals in their custody and ordered tests to cross check the claims.

Giving out details, sub-inspector Gulab Singh said the tests confirmed that the accused was transporting wild boars, which the members of the gang caught from Barmer in Rajasthan. Sadar Raikot police booked the accused under relevant sections of the IPC, the Wildlife Protection Act and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

The accused, Khanna Kumar, meanwhile, was earlier booked by Division number 6 police on November 13 for selling wild boars and is currently at large.