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No arrests in poaching case: Uttaranchal DIG

The Director General of Police, Uttaranchal, Ashok Saran Friday denied newspaper reports that two poachers had been arrested.

"I have received endless calls from newspaper offices and television organisations. I have seen the reports that appeared in some national dailies. I do not know who is spreading these stories. I categorically state that no arrests have been made in the five poaching cases registered by the UP and Uttaranchal police so far," Saran told rediff.com in a telephonic conversation from his residence in Dehradun.

Saran blamed forest officials for the delay in registering first information reports. "We are being blamed for the slackness of forest officials. So far five cases have been registered at two places where offences have taken place. We are interrogating a number of suspects and those who trade in ivory. Our officers are busy gathering information," he said.

According to Saran, a team of police and forest officials will be leaving for Assam to find out the modus operandi of poachers in the northeast. "We have got some clues from two newspapers printed in Johrat, Assam. One is dated November 23 and the other December 6. We are hoping something will emerge out of it. But without the involvement of local elements this sort of crime could not have taken place. Maybe because we have been raiding places and picking up people, some scribes thought that we have made some arrests," he added.

The Uttaranchal police is now planning to open a police station at Kalagrah and three more police posts outside the park. "We are not allowed to go inside but we do plan to have our own posts to keep criminal elements away from the park. We will take similar steps in other sanctuaries too. We have been told that the CBI will formally take over the case from us because the case has country-wide ramifications," he said.

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