Two Maharashtra police personnel held with Tiger skins in Chhattisgarh's Kanker

Two Maharashtra Police personnel arrested with tiger skins in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district, while pangolin scales were recovered during a follow-up search

Updated on: Jul 1, 2026, 19:58:43 IST

By Ritesh Mishra

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Raipur: Two serving Maharashtra Police personnel were arrested with two tiger skins in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district, and a subsequent search at one of their homes led to the recovery of a large quantity of pangolin scales, forest officials said on Wednesday.

Forest officials arrested two Maharashtra Police personnel with two tiger skins and later recovered pangolin scales from a residence in Gadchiroli. (Representative photo)

Baburao Madavi and Bijeshwar Gedam were apprehended in the Bande area of the West Bhanupratappur Forest Division along the Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra border on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday while they were transporting two tiger skins on a motorcycle, divisional forest officer S Naveenkumar said.

The operation was jointly carried out by the Anti-Poaching Unit of the Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau's Central and Western Regional units, the State Level Flying Squad, and the West Bhanupratappur Forest Division.

A case was registered against the duo under the Wildlife (Protection) Act.

During interrogation, Gedam disclosed information that led forest officials to search his residence in Aheri in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district, where they recovered a large quantity of pangolin scales.

Forest officials said both accused, who are serving with the Maharashtra Police, allegedly acted as middlemen in an interstate poaching network. Efforts are underway to identify and arrest others involved.

Deputy director of Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve Varun Jain said preliminary findings suggest the tigers were poached in the Indravati Tiger Reserve-Abujhmad landscape in Bastar, one of central India's most significant tiger habitats.

The operation was conducted under 'Operation Safe Passage', an initiative aimed at protecting the nearly 400-km wildlife corridor connecting the forests of Gadchiroli in Maharashtra with the Indravati Tiger Reserve, Abujhmad, Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve, and Odisha's Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary.

The corridor is vital for the movement of tigers and for maintaining the genetic connectivity of elephants, gaur, wild buffalo, and other wildlife species, officials said.

Jain said the Anti-Poaching Unit of the Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve had carried out similar interstate operations in 2023, leading to the arrest of several poachers and the seizure of two tiger skins.

In April this year, the unit also arrested an alleged poacher accused of hunting nine Indian giant squirrels in Abujhmad.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

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