BARIPADA: Mayurbhanj police recovered a leopard hide from a roadside dhaba along NH-49 at Jharpokharia and detained eight persons in this connection on Wednesday.
It is suspected that the big cat, aged around eight years, was poached in Similipal forest nearly four to five months back. The 77-inch-long hide was found hidden in a bag. The detained persons were reportedly waiting to sell it to some buyers in West Bengal.
Jharpokharia IIC Phanindra Bhusan Nayak said on a tip-off, a special police team in plain clothes raided the dhaba at around 12 noon and apprehended the eight persons with the leopard skin. The accused were planning to sell the hide for Rs 7 lakh. The seized hide and the eight persons were handed over to officials of the Baripada forest division.
Divisional forest officer (DFO) of Baripada Santosh Joshi said it is yet to be confirmed how the accused got the leopard hide. Exact details will emerge after the interrogation of the eight persons. All the accused will be arrested under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, he added.