Two men arrested in Thane with barking deer pelts

The Kalyan unit of the Thane crime branch, in a combined operation with Thane Range forest officials, on Friday arrested two people for smuggling pelts of barking deer.

The officers have seized two deer pelts worth Rs50,000 from the two accused, and have registered a case against them with Dombivli police station.

During interrogation, the accused told police that they were going to sell the barking deer pelts in Dombivli.

The item is used for black magic, and people also sit on it during puja.

Senior police i nspector Shailendra Nagarkar, Thane crime branch, Kalyan unit, received information about two people loitering around Dombivli station with t he barking deer pelts.

“I shared the information with the range forest officer, and we l aid a trap near Dombivli east,” said Nagarkar.

The arrested accused are Nitin Tulsiram Ramteke, 40, and Jeevan Tayade, 30, both from Yavatmal district. “We seized the bag, which contained two barking deer pelts,” said Nagarkar.

He said t hat authorities are tracing their network of buyers and suppliers. “They claimed that they had received an order from a buyer, and had come to complete the sale. We are tracing their links, that is, where they brought the skin, and will soon bust the racket behind it,” said Nagarkar.

A case has been registered with Dombivli police station under sections of the Wild Life ( Protection) Act, 1972.

“Both the accused men were produced in Kalyan court on Saturday and remanded in police custody till Monday. We have also seized t heir mobile phone, and are checking their links in the case,” said Chiwad Shetty, assistant police inspector, Kalyan crime branch, who along the forest officers, arrested the duo.

RISHIKESH CHOUDHARY The seized deer pelts are worth Rs50,000.