Nagpur Feb 24 PTI The police have recovered ammunition hidden in Gram Jamtola forest of Maharashtras Gadchiroli district an official said on Thursday Based on a tip-off about hidden arms the police launched an anti-Naxal operation in Gram Jamtola forest on Wednesday the official said The police recovered a pressure cooker bomb a detonator four gelatine sticks six sprinter steel pieces 45 gm gun powder and other Naxal-related articles he said The explosives were recovered amid the ongoing tactical counter offensive campaign TCOC the official said Superintendent of police Gadchiroli Ankit Goyal appreciated the C-60 commandos and BDDS personnel involved in the operation and congratulated them for its fine execution a release here stated Operations have been intensified further by the Gadchiroli police in the backdrop of the ongoing TCOC period it was stated PTI CLS ARU ARU

Nagpur Jan 27 PTI A tigress has been spotted wandering with a snare around her neck at Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtras Nagpur district an official said on Thursday A photograph from a camera trap in Maikepar beat of Nagalwadi range on Wednesday showed that the big cat identified as T41 has a snare around her neck deputy director of the reserve stated in a release An agricultural area is approximately 1 km away from the camera trap location it was stated After analysing the past camera trap records it was found that the tigress was traversing west Pench Saleghat and Nagalwadi range of west Pench The forest department has set up more camera traps and nine patrolling teams have been formed to track down the big cat the release said Villagers have been asked to remain alert and avoid venturing into the forest it was stated Patrolling teams are also looking for snares in agricultural field and forest boundaries and the adjoining territorial Nagpur forest department has been alerted about the same the release stated PTI CLS ARU ARU

Nagpur Jan 21 PTI Six persons have been arrested in connection with the poaching of a tiger who was found dead without two teeth and whiskers in Arjuni-Morgaon forest range of Maharashtras Gondia district an official said on Friday A five-year-old tiger was found dead at Arjuni-Morgaon forest range on January 13 following which the Gondia forest department had announced Rs 25000 reward for anyone who shared information about the death the official said As per the probe the accused Dhanraj Chachane and Madhukar Waghade had on January 11 stolen electricity from a private farm using electric steel wire and laid it in 15 km range in the forest area for poaching herbivorous animals said Kulraj Singh deputy conservator of forest of the Gondia Forest Department A tiger came in contact with the wire on the night of January 11 following which the accused took two teeth and whiskers of the animal he said Six persons have been arrested in connection with case so far the official said adding that the forest department has seized the teeth and some other body parts which the accused had removed from the animal using an axe PTI CLS ARU ARU

Nagpur Nov 24 PTI Five persons have been arrested for allegedly possessing and attempting to sell tiger nails and teeth in Maharashtras Nagpur district a forest official said on Wednesday Acting on a tip-off a team from the Nagpur forest division laid a trap at Umred bus stop on Tuesday and nabbed three of the accused who had come there to sell the animal parts deputy conservator of forest Nagpur Bharat Singh Hada said Based on the information provided by the trio two more accused were subsequently nabbed the official said in a release The forest department has registered offences against the accused under relevant provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 he added PTI CLS ARU ARU

Nagpur Oct 29 PTI The police on Friday detained tribal leaders and sent back people who were staging a sit-in protest against a mining project at Surjagarh in Etapalli tehsil of Maharashtras Gadchiroli district Since the last five days locals in the area have been staging a dharna against the iron ore mining project in Surjagarh demanding cancellation of the lease granted to a private company According to the police the locals were given permission to hold a morcha and not a sit-in agitation Local tribals along with Zilla Parishad member Sainu Gota and member of Shetkari Kamgar Paksh Ramdas Jarate had launched an indefinite sit-in protest under the aegis of Surjagarh Paramparik Ilaka Gotul Samiti on Monday Speaking to PTI Gadchiroli superintendent of police Ankit Goyal said some leaders at the dharna were detained and people were requested to leave and they left They were given permission for a morcha and not a dharna However they had been staging a dharna for the last four to five days The police and district collector visited the spot and requested protestors to withdraw the agitation the official said PTI CLS ARU ARU

Nagpur Oct 28 PTI The police have arrested two Naxals who participated in a rally against a mining project in Ettapalli taluka of Maharashtras Gadchiroli district an official said on Thursday Villagers had organised a rally to protest against the Surjagad mining project in Etapalli on October 26 a release stated The Gadchiroli police had received a tip-off that some Naxals had joined the rally following which some plain-clothes personnel of the Special Operation Squad were deployed to apprehend the ultras The police arrested action team member Muda Masa Zohi 32 and Jan Militia member Mainu Dorpeti during the rally the release stated According to the police Zohi is a resident of Gorgutta village which is located in limits of highly sensitive AOP Gatta Jambia The arrested ultra was allegedly involved in three encounters over the last two years and was recruited in Gatta LOS of CPI Maoist groups as a party member Dorpeti a resident of Bodmeta in Etapalli had allegedly killed a man on September 18 and was also involved in an attack at AOP Gatta Jambia in May 11 the release said The arrested cadres had a reward of Rs 2 lakh each on their heads it was stated Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police Ankit Goyal has intensified the anti-Naxal operations in the district and has appealed to active cadres to renounce the path of violence PTI CLS ARU ARU

Nagpur Sep 24 PTI Three tiger reserves in Maharashtra will reopen for tourists from October 1 after remaining shut for the monsoon season an official said The Pench Tiger Reserve PTR Bor Tiger Reserve BTR and Umred Paoni Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary UPWKS will be open for visitors the official said Safaris will be conducted from Sillari Khursapar Chorbahuli Kolitmara Surewani Khubala and Paoni entry gates of PTR Bordharan entry gate of BTR and Karhandla and Gothangaon gates of UPKWS said Ravikiran Govekar chief conservator of forest and field director of PTR The safaris will be subject to road conditions and local rainfall situation the official said in a release The carrying capacity of BTRs Bordharan gate has been temporarily reduced to 12 vehicles while the Adegaon gate will remain closed till further orders as the main road leading to the gate is closed due to rains he said At UPKWS the Paoni entry gate will be open to tourists from October 15 to October 31 it was stated The facility to book safaris online will be made available from October 16 while online booking for Paoni gate will be available from November 1 The accommodation facility at Sillari Tourism Complex will be available from October 1 The tourists will be able to book their visit online on the website wwwmahaecotourismgovin from October 10 the release stated Visitors will have to follow COVD-19-related rules and regulations issued by the National Tiger Conservation Authority state government and local district administration it said PTI CLS ARU ARU