Boxing coach held with 3 leopard skins

New Delhi, May 5 (IANS) A 22-year-old boxing coach from Himachal Pradesh who along with his associates allegedly killed more than 10 leopards for their skin in the last five years has been arrested here. Three skins worth about Rs.9 lakh were seized from him, police said Saturday.

Meetu Singh, a resident of Rohru in Himachal Pradesh, was arrested Friday from G.T. Karnal Road for possessing the leopard skins. He told police that he and his associates had been involved in trapping leopards for their skin for five years.

"They hunted leopards in the forests of Shivalik Range in Himachal Pradesh. By laying a clamp on the path taken by the animals, they trapped them. Once a leopard was caught, the poachers would beat the wild cat to death," said Ashok Chand, Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime).

Singh disclosed that they had killed more than 10 leopards and sold their skins in Shimla, McLeodganj and Dharamshala of Himachal Pradesh.

Singh, a graduate, works as a boxing coach at his village school.

"He has also represented his state in junior boxing championships. He is part of the large gang of poachers that specialize in trapping and killing leopards for their skin and fur," said Chand.