A special court in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, has revoked the bail of Ajit Pardhi, a suspect in a 2013 tiger poaching case at the Pench Tiger Reserve. Pardhi, currently held in Chandrapur District Jail, Maharashtra, was arrested earlier this year for another tiger poaching incident. The Madhya Pradesh State Tiger Strike Force stated that this rare move was made under Section 480 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023.
This case stems from 2013 when a tiger was reportedly poached in the Rukhad Range, Pench Tiger Reserve’s buffer zone, leading to a Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, charge. The investigation revealed a poaching network’s alleged involvement, resulting in the arrest of 10 individuals. Ajit Pardhi, who had been evading authorities for over a decade, was apprehended in Balaghat district in 2024 and later granted conditional bail.
Despite being released, Pardhi’s activities were closely monitored by the STSF. Following his arrest in Maharashtra on January 25, 2025, for another tiger poaching case, the STSF, along with Maharashtra authorities, pursued the investigation. Subsequently, the STSF requested the court to cancel Pardhi’s bail, which was granted, and a production warrant was issued to secure his presence before the court.
Accused of various tiger and pangolin poaching and trafficking offenses, Pardhi faces charges from multiple agencies, including the CBI, in Nagpur, Umred, Karandla Sanctuary, and Chandrapur Forest Division in Maharashtra. The Jabalpur unit of the State Tiger Strike Force is handling the investigation into the Pench tiger poaching case under Wildlife Headquarters’ guidance.
