India: In a major breakthrough, notorious absconding tiger poacher Kuttu alias Rahul Gulabsingh Gondthakur (30) was nabbed in Lakhimpur-Kheri, bordering Nepal, in a joint operation by Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) and Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) on Tuesday evening.

On January 21 this year, Kuttu gave a slip to Bhandara police in Dighori near Sakoli, when he was being brought back after attending trial in tiger poaching case in Wadsa, Gadchiroli.

Kuttu was dramatically arrested on March 3, 2015 by a team of CBI and Melghat forest officials from Biruhali in Katni (MP). He was directly involved in skinning and deboning tigers in Paoni range of Bhandara. The Kuttu gang operated in entire Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR) landscape and killed several tigers in forest areas of Gondia, Tumsar, Sakoli and Bhandara.

SP of UP STF Dr Aravind Chaturvedi from Lucknow said that his team was trailing the culprits for the past three weeks based on intelligence inputs from some NGOs and WCCB. However, a release issued by Bhandara police states that it was tipped off by NGOs WPSI and Save Ecosystem and Tiger (SEAT).

"As these Baheliya Pardhis stayed in large groups of 30-40 and it was difficult to identify Kuttu. The place where the culprit was nabbed is close to Dudhwa National Park and Pilibhit forest areas bearing tigers and hence we were worried," said Chaturvedi.

"Our another observation was that in the last one month there were several reports of illicit sandalwood felling from various government premises. At least 20 chandan trees were stolen recently. We were told that these Pardhis are either into tiger poaching or sandalwood smuggling," Chaturvedi added.

As per secret information, Kuttu was accompanied by Keroo, who managed to give slip to the officials. Keroo is brother of Kuttu and is also wanted for trafficking two tiger skins from Nagpur.
Though there are no offences against Kuttu in UP, a team of Bhandara police has already left for Kheri with a production warrant. A second team also left for Kheri.

Bhandara SP Vinita Sahu said, "The STF action was based on inputs provided by police, state cyber cell and a section of NGOs working in wildlife crime. Kuttu will be brought amid tight security under transit custody and is likely to be produced in the court on Friday."

Earlier, police had searched for Kuttu in Odisha, MP, Chhattisgarh and Kolkata. Forest department sources said Kuttu's escape had stirred up a storm and state home ministry under chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had sought a detailed report on the issue from the wildlife wing officials.

At least 35 hard-core tiger poachers are still at large but no review of poaching cases is being taken. The Wildlife Protection Force of Vidarbha (WPFV), a federation of NGOs, had also announced Rs1 lakh award for those nabbing dreaded tiger poacher Kuttu.

Nadeem Khan of WPFV said, "We stand by our promise and will award those involved in nabbing Kuttu."

(Source: Times of India)