Peacock Poacher arrested with three carcasses
By IANSWednesday, November 24, 2010
LUCKNOW - A peacock poacher, who operated an inter-state racket in its meat and feathers, was arrested with carcasses of the national bird in Kanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, police said Wednesday.
Gautam, 22, was arrested late Tuesday in a joint operation by police and forest officials. He had clients in various states, including Bihar, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan, and supplied them with peacock meat and feathers.
“Gautam was nabbed in Bichipur with carcasses of three peacocks,” police inspector Raja Ram told reporters Wednesday in Kanpur, some 80 km from Lucknow.
His three accomplices managed to escape, the police official said.
“Gautam has confessed to killing the peacocks in a nearby forest. He said his gang ran the racket in peacock meat and feathers for the past five years,” he added.
Peacock, declared the national bird of India, is protected under Section 51 (1-A) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
