Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Evidence uncovered during the investigation into the poaching of a three-year-old male leopard strongly suggests the involvement of an organised wildlife crime gang and has raised fears of a possible state-wide racket, as shared by divisional forest officer Pradeep Mishra.
The inquiry, led by the forest department and the State Tiger Strike Force (STSF), intensified after the leopard’s mutilated remains were discovered in the Double Chowki forest range.
The leopard’s carcass, found near the revenue–forest boundary in the Garhi beat, was missing its front paws, claws, and canine teeth—a clear indicator of a professional poaching operation. The investigation team focused on the owners of local fields and a nearby farmhouse after conducting a second day of on-site inspections.
A significant breakthrough came with the discovery of a clutch-wire snare, installed in a field approximately 500 metres from the farmhouse under scrutiny. The field owner told investigators that the device was set to address the menace of wild boars.
Sources within the department stated that a gang of wild-boar poachers is known to be active in the area, with hunters reportedly arriving from Dewas and Karanavat to Doublechowki. Furthermore, villagers provided additional information related to poaching activities, which has been crucial in piecing together the network. The combined evidence has led investigators to believe that the poachers involved in the leopard killing may be part of a larger criminal enterprise operating across the state.
To track the movements and communication of the suspected gang members, senior officials of the Indore Forest Division sent formal requests to mobile companies to obtain Call Detail Records (CDRs).
The investigation team is also meticulously analysing mobile tower data from Doublechowki, Garhi, Udaynagar, and other nearby regions. Officials stated that site evidence suggests the animal was killed in one location and then moved, with its body subsequently dumped. They believe the tower data will reveal where specific mobile numbers were active, helping to confirm this theory and track the gang’s movements.
The Indore Forest Division has established a three-member committee—SDO Yohan Katara, Dhirendra Singh, and ranger Sangeeta Thakur—to oversee the probe and report their findings within seven days. The STSF’s investigation is continuing alongside the committee's work.
