Assam: Three arrested for trying to eat leopard cat on the eve of Bhogali Bihu

Three men has been arrested by State Forest Department and Assam Police when they planned to eat a leopard cat on the eve of Bhogali Bihu at Rajapara under Boko Police Station on January 13, late at night.

Boko Police Station's officer in charge Phanindra Chandra Nath had received a tip-off that a leopard cat had died while trying to cross the road and was hit by an unidentified vehicle. 

Simultaneously, West Kamrup Divisional Forest Officer Dimpy Bora also got the same tip-off.

It is to be mentioned that the Rajapara area falls under the Bondapara forest office.

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ACF Alok Deb, in charge of Singra Forest Range, said that the DFO ordered him to recover the carcass of the leopard cat immediately along with the Bondapara Range officer. Meanwhile, a Boko Police team led by OC Phanindra Natha rush to the incident site and start an investigation.

"When we and Police started an investigation in search of the carcass of the leopard cat, we found that three villagers from Rajapara village chopped off the meat of the leopard cat. We seized the skin and meat of the leopard cat and arrested them from the spot," added ACF Alok Deb.

Later the Forest and Police team brought three of them to the Singra Forest Range. The trio accused names are Ganesh Boro (46 yrs), Sukleswar Boro (40yrs) and Ranjit Chetry (34 yrs). 

ACF Alok Deb said that the carcass of the leopard cat was found in Ganesh Boro's house. A case has been registered under the wildlife protection act 1972 under sections 39, 43, 44, 49 (B), 09. Further investigations are going on and they will be sent to judicial custody.