Assam: Absconded Hojai base businessman in Rhino horn trade surrenders to forest officials

GOLAGHAT: A businessman from Assam's Hojai district who has  long been  wanted in cases relating to illegal rhino horn trade has surrendered before forest officials in Bokakhat town of Golaghat district on Sunday.

The accused has been identified as Md Rahimuddin, a resident of the Hojai district who had two cases pertaining to the unlawful trade of rhino horns registered against him.

Rahimuddin was absconding for a long time, said Forest Department sources. He was able to obtain pre-arrest bail in one case but was arrested in the other.

In a separate case, officers from the department recovered a country-made gun and deer meat inside the West Margherita Range of Dehing Patkai National Park in the Tinsukia district.

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Following a tip-off about the presence of poachers in the area, a search party was deployed on Sunday to apprehend them, said the Divisional Forest Officer Digboi, T.C Ranjit Ram.

However, the poachers jumped into the Dehing river and managed to escape.

The West Margherita Range has registered a case under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and an FIR under the Arms Act has been filed against the poachers in the Margherita Police Station.

An investigation is underway and samples of the seized meat will be sent for forensic analysis, the DFO added.

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