3 min readRaipurJul 11, 2026 06:55 AM IST
First published on: Jul 11, 2026 at 06:55 AM IST
Three forest personnel posted in Chhattisgarh’s Indravati Tiger Reserve have been suspended for alleged negligence after investigators recovered a third tiger skin from suspected poachers, raising concerns that multiple tigers may have been killed in and around the reserve.
Forest Ranger Kamal Singh Kashyap, Deputy Ranger Narhari Singh Baghel and Forest Guard Vishwanath Manjhi, all posted in the reserve’s Pasewada range, were suspended earlier this week.
The suspensions came after a third tiger skin was recovered on July 5, days after two tiger skins were seized from alleged poachers on June 29.
Forest officials said they are investigating whether the skins belong to tigers from the Indravati Tiger Reserve.
“We are verifying whether the three tigers were from the reserve,” a senior forest official said.
According to the latest All India Tiger Estimation in 2022, the reserve had six tigers. A fresh tiger census is underway this year, after which updated numbers will be released.
Deputy Director of the Indravati Tiger Reserve, Sundeep Balaga, said surveillance and protection measures had been intensified following the seizures.
Poaching concerns
The arrests have also revived concerns over poaching in the reserve. In May last year, a tiger was rescued after its leg was caught in a steel leg-hold trap laid by poachers. The animal was later shifted to the Jungle Safari in Raipur, where it recovered.
The investigation began on June 29 when two Maharashtra Police personnel, Baburao Madavi and Bijeshwar Gedam, were arrested with two tiger skins. During questioning, five more accused were arrested, leading investigators to the recovery of a third tiger skin.
The operation was carried out on intelligence provided by the Wildlife Justice Commission and involved the Anti-Poaching Unit of the Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve, the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau’s Central and Western Regions, the State Level Flying Squad, the West Bhanupratappur Forest Division, and Gariaband police.
Officials said the two policemen were intercepted near the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border while allegedly transporting two tiger skins on a motorcycle. A wildlife offence was registered by the West Paralkot Range of the West Bhanupratappur Forest Division in Kanker district.
During a search of Gedam’s residence, officials also recovered a large quantity of pangolin scales, indicating possible involvement in organised trafficking of multiple Schedule I wildlife species.
Officials said the operation forms part of intensified efforts to protect the nearly 400-km wildlife corridor linking the forests of Gadchiroli, Indravati Tiger Reserve, Abujhmad, Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve and Odisha’s Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary.
The corridor is considered one of central India’s most important wildlife dispersal routes. Besides facilitating the movement of tigers from Maharashtra into Chhattisgarh, it is critical for maintaining genetic connectivity among species such as elephants, gaur and wild buffalo.
The suspensions came after a third tiger skin was recovered on July 5, days after two tiger skins were seized from alleged poachers on June 29. (Photo: Jayprakash S Naidu)
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