Two arrested with leopard skin

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police’s Special Task Force (STF) has arrested two people and seized a leopard skin from their possession after a raid in Kalahandi district. The accused have been identified as Chakra Benal (45) and Purna Chandra Bagh (39 ), both are residents of Kalahandi district. “Following a tip-off, an STF team with the help of Kalahandi police on Thursday raided an isolated place near Narla railway station in the district and caught the criminals who were waiting for a potential customer to execute the deal. “During the search, a leopard skin and other incriminating material were recovered from their possession,” an STF officer said. The STF later decided to register a case under various sections of the IPC and the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. Later the accused persons were arrested. The seized leopard skin will be sent to the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun for biological testing.