New Delhi : “Tiger” Pataudi and seven others were booked on charges of poaching wild animals including a blackbuck in the northern Indian state of Haryana today. The Jhajjar police recovered the carcass besides two guns and 50 cartridges from the vehicle in which Pataudi and seven others were traveling on Friday.

The police had made relevant entries regarding the recovery of carcasses and weapons. Pataudi was among eight persons held by the police in Jhajjhar, on offences of poaching wild animals, including a black buck. The blackbuck is a Schedule I animal, which means that it is accorded the highest protection under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.

The photographs of the recovered carcass were obtained by Wildlife Trust of India (WTI). An expert from the organization inspected the carcass and confirmed that it was a blackbuck.

Senior Advisor and Trustee of WTI, Ashok Kumar commented that it was indeed sad that even decades after the ban on hunting and so much awareness and activism on wildlife conservation, there still exists a certain section of people who hunt for pleasure.

With an FIR filed against the offenders, the high profile former cricketer of a royal lineage now finds himself dealing with a sticky wicket and whether the ball rolls into court or bounces off it remains to be seen.