Cooch Behar, 03rd July: A person, identified as Akkas Ali Shaikh, was arrested for killing and selling a dolphin weighing 25 kg. The incident surfaced from the Chilakhana Char Para area of Tufanganj division. Reportedly, the person sold the dolphin to another person named Sameer Shaikh for Rs 6,500.
Based on a tip-off, the forest department arrested Akkas Ali on Friday evening. Today the accused was produced in Tufanganj court, where the judge has directed to keep him on remand for three days. However, Sameer Shaikh is still absconding.
According to the forest department, the accused Akkas is a resident of the Char Para area of South Chilakhana of Tufanganj Block-01. Several cases have been registered against him under the Wildlife Section. The Forest Department estimates that the accused was trying to smuggle dolphins by mutilating them. The forest department has also recovered some mutilated parts of dolphins from the accused.