(IN): Poachers claim nexus with cop- Gang sells rhino horn for Rs 12 lakh

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http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090122/jsp/guwahati/story_10424261.jsp

Poachers claim nexus with cop

- Gang sells rhino horn for Rs 12 lakhA STAFF REPORTER

 

Guwahati, Jan. 21: Two poachers, Bipul Kamang and Numol Doley, arrested

yesterday from Aphala village near Kaziranga, have claimed during

interrogation that they had bribed a police official and even a few

villagers to carry out their nefarious activities in the area.

 

The duo confessed that they were involved in the killing of a rhino in the

village on December 25, whose carcass was found buried in the backyard of a

farmer, Gobendra Pegu. Gobendra was arrested on December 28.

 

Bipul and Numol were part of an 11-member gang. The others escaped. Last

night, forest officials also recovered five rifles, hidden in the granary of

Numol's house after he confessed.

 

The duo revealed during interrogation that they had sold the horn of the

rhino for Rs 12 lakh to a buyer at Pisola in Sonitpur district.

 

Honorary wildlife warden Arup Ballab Goswami said the poachers confessed

that they had paid Rs 1 lakh to a policeman from the village. " The

particular policeman from Aphala village was supposed to hand over the money

to a senior police official, " Goswami said without naming the policeman. He

said efforts were on to trace the buyer.

 

The rhino was killed in Aphala village, 25km from Kaziranga, which is under

the jurisdiction of Kamargaon police station in Golaghat district. The other

members of the gang are Lakhi Doley, Lila Doley, Ajit Doley, Banjoli Doley,

Hemanta Pegu, Dasiram Pegu, Ananta Pegu, Horen Kamang and Tiluram Kamang.

 

Goswami said the claim of the two apprehended poachers (that they bribed a

policeman) has been taken up with the appropriate authorities for necessary

action. Bipul and Numol confessed that they had fired three bullets to kill

the rhino and then sawed off its horn, nails and the tail before burying it

in Gobendra's backyard.

 

The arrested poachers have also revealed during interrogation that they had

bribed a few villagers of Aphala, including Gobendra, to keep the killing

under wraps. The two poachers were produced in court today and remanded in

four days' custody of the forest department.

 

Ranjal Goswami, a forest official in Golaghat, said the police raided

several villages along the Brahmaputra in the past few days after they were

informed that a gang of poachers was planning another kill. " Last night we

raided Kemeri village in search of few gang members but they fled before we

arrived, " Goswami said.

 

Kaziranga rhinos are being targeted because they are straying out of the

park frequently in recent times. At least four rhinos are still grazing

outside the park.

 

Nearly 10 rhinos fell prey to poachers' bullets last year. While seven were

killed inside the park, three were shot dead outside.

 

Sources at Kaziranga said that Bipul was involved in the killing of rhinos

inside the park even earlier. He was arrested on earlier occasions but had

jumped bail.

 

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