Baheliya gang chief admits to killing 2 tigers in Gondia

Chandrapur: The ongoing probe into the Baheliya poaching network has uncovered fresh details, with the gang leader, Ajit Rajgond, confessing to killing two tigers in Gondia, said officials.
Rajgond, along with six accomplices, was arrested in Rajura in the last week of January. Following his confession, an investigation team from the Gondia forest department arrived in Rajura on Thursday for further investigations.
This is the second visit by Gondia officials to Rajura. Investigators questioned the accused in the custody on Thursday, seeking further clarity on the Gondia poaching cases. Sonu Singh, another arrested poacher, is also said to have provided crucial leads regarding similar wildlife crimes in the Gondia.
Meanwhile, the Judicial Magistrate First Class (JMFC) court in Rajura on Thursday rejected the bail plea of Ning San Lun, a key link in the illegal wildlife trade and financial transactions of the poaching syndicate. Lun was arrested from Shillong and has been remanded to PCR till Febraury 14. She had applied for bail, but the court denied her plea citing the gravity of the allegations and potential impact on the ongoing probe.
The forest department team from Gondia is likely to camp in Rajura to take custody of the accused in the poaching nexus, if any of them is granted a bail.
With multiple agencies tightening their grip, forest officials are hopeful of uncovering deeper financial trails and nabbing more key persons involved in the organised wildlife crime network.