5/6/2010 | Author : DNA Correspondent 

The Sawai Madhopur police arrested Jankilal Mogiya alias Lodiya, a poacher, for allegedly killing at least three tigers in the reserves of Ranthambhore. Forest officials and an NGO helped the police identify Mogiya, who was also wanted by the Special Operations Group (SOG) in several cases of smuggling of tiger skins.

However, Mogiya landed in police’s lap by chance. The police were on high alert in the wake of growing poaching in Sawai Mdhopur district. While patrolling the tehsil on Monday, police got suspicious of Mogiya.

During interrogation, Mogiya revealed that he had poached three tigers in 2004, in the Hindwal region of Ranthambhore forests.

The forest officials and an NGO, too, identified Mogiya as poacher. After Sansar Chand’s arrest in 2005, the SOG started searching for his aides. Jankilal Mogiya was on the list of accused involved in smuggling of tiger skins.

Dharmendra Khandal, director of Tiger Watch Foundation, said that Mogiya was living under a guise. “He is expert in putting up a guise. Even the police could not identify him till the NGO and forest officials confirmed his identity,” he said.