In a swift crackdown on illegal wildlife trade, Odisha’s Special Task Force (STF) apprehended two individuals near New Infovalley Road, Bhubaneswar, for possession of a leopard skin.
Acting on intelligence inputs, STF conducted a raid on 24 July 2025, resulting in the arrest of Rajesh Nayak (alias Raja) and Gangadhar Naik (alias Arjun), both residents of Nayagarh district.
During the search, STF recovered a leopard skin along with other incriminating materials. The accused failed to produce any legal documentation for the possession of the wildlife item.
A case under Sections 303(2), 317(2), and 61(2)(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, along with Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, has been registered as STF PS Case No. 16 dated 24.07.2025.
The seized leopard skin will be sent to the Director of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, for biological examination. Investigations are ongoing to trace the broader network behind this illegal trade.
