Kind attention...
CWLW of Maharashtra and DGP,

I representative of the International Organization for Animal Protection in India placed notice before you for strict action against all offenders...

NAGPUR: Amid high drama for the fourth consecutive day over death of two deer while relocating them from Maharajbagh Zoo to Navegaon, the People For Animals (PFA) demanded arrest of associate dean of College of Agriculture Vandan Mohod and zoo in-charge Dr AB Motghare. An FIR has already been filed by the Sitabuldi police.

Mohod, Dr Motghare and Summit Deshmukh, zookeeper, were responsible for two deer deaths on Friday due to alleged negligence while relocating them to Navegaon National Park. Of the two deer one died in transit while one was quietly buried in the zoo. The case was exposed by People For Animals (PFA), Nagpur. The NGO suspects the remaining four deer also must have died.

"We didn't get any cooperation from forest and zoo officials to count the deer. It indicates that they want to hide the facts, " alleged Karishma Galani, chief of PFA, while talking to mediamen on Monday.

Meanwhile, the PDKV, which manages the zoo, has transferred Dr Motghare to dairy department. He will be replaced by earlier in-charge Dr SS Bawaskar. However, it has taken no action against Mohod and zookeeper Summit Deshmukh, who is also his relative.

ER Patil, dean of faculty of agriculture in PDKV, Akola, admitted that Mohod and Deshmukh erred but was non-committal on action against the duo. "The zoo staff was negligent. They should have followed the requisite procedure. The deer relocation could have been delayed by a day or two, " Patil said.

Although Mohod and Dr Motghare were slapped with various sections under Wildlife Protection Act 1972; Recognition of Zoo Rules 2004 and Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960, but none was arrested. "Police, forest and zoo officials did not take the matter seriously, " said Manish Singh Chauhan of PFA.

When the PFA members called up Addl CP Anup Kumar Singh in front of media men to ask why action was not taken against Mohod and Dr Motghare, he replied, "Don't teach me law. I cannot assure you about their arrests. I will let you know after the duo are arrested, " Singh said.

The PFA activists alleged that initially police were reluctant to act. "But only after our leader Maneka Gandhi called up commissioner of police, they swung into action, " they said.

In the last two days, police quizzed Dr Motghare and also seized one wooden box in which the deer were shifted. Dr Motghare admitted before the cops that his action was as per the directions issued by his boss Mohod.

PFA activist Arunpal Singh Behal demanded to book the culprits under section 429 of the IPC, which implies killing of wild animals under mischief. He also demanded counting of deer afresh. "Only then we will know how many deer have actually died, " he said.

The PFA threatened to launch hunger strike in front of Maharajbagh Zoo if Mohod and Dr Motghare are not arrested in a day or two.

Dr RC Baisare, assistant commissioner, Regional Disease Investigation Laboratory said that the carcasses of deer and emu were in putrefied condition and hence it cannot be concluded how they died. The deer that was in transit died due to shock and around one kg of plastic polythene bags were found in its stomach.

नरेश कादयान http://nareshkadyan.blogspot.com/
अध्यक्ष, पीपल्स फॉर एनिमल हरियाणा,
Naresh Kadyan http://nareshkadyan.webs.com/
अंतरराष्ट्रीय पशु रक्षा संगठन के भारतीय प्रतिनिधि
Representative of the International Organization for Animal Protection in India,
http://www.oipa.org/oipa/news/oipaindia.html
Chairman, PFA Haryana http://www.pfaharyana.in
+91-9813010595, 9313312099
http://nareshkadyanbook.blogspot.com/
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