Leopard Skins, Traps, NGO: Curious Poaching Case Emerges In Madhya Pradesh
Authorities in Madhya Pradesh are investigating allegations that a poacher was provided with a fake identity by individuals linked to the NGO Wildlife SOS. The investigation seeks to determine if the NGO was involved in creating a communal narrative around the suspect's illegal activities.
Why it matters
The case raises serious ethical questions about the intersection of wildlife conservation, undercover intelligence gathering, and potential manipulation of law enforcement investigations.
Ten leopard skins and banned hunting equipment were recently recovered from an alleged poacher, Bhagwan Singh, in Uttar Pradesh's Agra. However, within the secretive underworld where wildlife informants, poachers, and anti-poaching operatives intersect, Singh had acquired a fake identity: Salim. Forest Department sources allege that this false identity was cultivated by individuals linked to a prominent non-profit organisation to inject a communal angle into the investigation should he be caught by authorities carrying out illegal activities.The sources have said that people linked to Wildlife SOS, the NGO, had allegedly helped Singh acquire his fake identity. Investigators are now trying to verify who gave Bhagwan the alias, where and how it was used and what exactly his relationship was with people associated with the NGO."It was revealed that the accused had links to an NGO, Wildlife SOS, through which these activities were being facilitated," Madhya Pradesh PCCF-Wildlife Dr Samita Rajora said, citing…
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