Jaipur : For the first time, two panther skins were recovered directly from the wildlife smuggler Sansar Chand, who had so blatantly challenged the police when he was arrested after a carefully planned sting operation on 30 th June. On 15 th July, the Rajasthan police obtained orders from the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) authorizing the ACMM to hear the case after which the Rajasthan Police granted custody and transit of the wildlife smuggler.

Sansar Chand faced interrogation in Jaipur in a case of seizure of leopard skins. His wife Rani and son Akash are already in custody in Jaipur in the same case and were denied bail by the Rajasthan High Court.

After a remand in police custody and charged under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act ( MCOCA), was produced before the Honorable Link Court in Jaipur yesterday. What followed led to a recovery for the first time.

Dr M S Kachchawa, legal counsel for the Wildlife trust of India , who has been appearing in all hearings related to Sansar Chand in Rajasthan reported, “Sansar Chand was produced before the Honorable Link Court on the demand of Rajasthan Police for recovery in the case of smuggling of skins in which his wife Rani and son Akash were involved. Acting on information given by Sansar Chand, the police party reached Ratiya, a place near Hissar in the state of Haryana.”

The raid was conducted in the presence of Sansar Chand, which led to the arrest of two accused, Subhash and Tariya. Sansar admitted to the purchase of two panther skins that were recovered from Subhash and Tariya. The entire operation was carried out by Rajasthan Police from Police Station Manak Chowk, Jaipur, led by C I Surendra Singh Rathore.

Sansar Chand is also accused in a case in Ajmer , where he was awarded a sentence of five years. After filing an appeal, he became entitled to bail and then went underground. What followed was a carefully planned sting operation on the part of the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police and conducted across several states that finally trapped this don of wildlife crime who lives with the blood of hundreds of animals on his conscience.