Andhra Pradesh, December 17, 2013: In a significant step forward in the fight against poaching, notorious poacher Ranjitsingh and two of his aides, Jagdish and Sarabjit, were arrested from the Vijaynagar area of Andhra Pradesh Sunday morning by a team from the Maharashtra Forest Department and the local police.

File photo of Sansar Chand, one of India’s most notorious poachers

Infamous as the ‘right-hand’ of Sansar Chand, one of India’s biggest poacher and wildlife article trader, Ranjitsingh was wanted in several cases of poaching and wildlife trafficking, especially of trade in tiger parts. The arrest was made on a non-bailable warrant as the accused and his associates had absconded after jumping bail in a previous arrest. The three will be taken to Maharashtra soon for further investigation.

“The Maharashtra Forest Department has done a commendable job in arresting a poacher/trader like Ranjitsingh. Every poacher put behind bars goes a long way in helping conserve the few tigers left in the wild,” said Jose Louies, Head of WTI’s Enforcement and Law Division.