Jawans of Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) of Pench Tiger Reserve chased a group of fishermen involved in illegal fishing activities in Totladoh reservoir and caught one of them.
A squad of STPF belonging to Totladoh and Khursapar noticed some fishermen in 7/8 boats were indulging in illegal fishing in the reservoir in East Pench. Sensing danger, fishermen were running but the squad successfully arrested one fisherman Ramdas Sarate, a resident of Dudhgaon, Bichawa tehsil of Chhindwara district, MP, informed Dr Prabhu Nath Shukla, Deputy Director, Pench Tiger Reserve, on Tuesday.
Forestmen registered an offence in this connection under relevant sections of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and produced him before JMFC, Ramtek, who granted him Forest Custody Remand for two days.
The forest men searched and seized 8 boats hidden in waters, 40 pieces of fish and nets, worth Rs 2.90 lakh. Atul Deokar, Mahesh Parab, Assistant Conservators of Forest, Pench, Mangesh Tate, Anil Bhagat, Range Forest Officers, Ramesh Chake, Kailash Chavan, Ganpat Mundhe, Forest Guards, are making further investigations under the guidance of Dr Shukla.
