Head of notorious poaching gang arrested

Forest Department officials have arrested the alleged head of a poaching gang from Haryana, an officer said today.
23-year-old Jyoti Ram, believed to be head of the notorious Bawaria gang of poachers with international connections and involved in trading in banned wildlife articles like tiger skin in North India, was arrested from Paplua village of Haryana's Panchkula district on September 1, SDO (Forest) J S Rawat said.
Ram was brought to Kotdwar yesterday and produced before a local court which sent him to judicial custody till September 13, said Rawat, who led the five-member team that nabbed the poacher from Haryana with help from Kalaka Police.

The department is now working to expose the modus operandi of the gang, he said.
Sant Lal, another member of the Bawaria gang was arrested on June 16 this year in Kotari Range of Lansdowne Forest division during patrolling.