Madhya Pradesh Tribal Welfare dept official's mother sent to jail for illegal possession of tiger hide

Jabalpur, July 24 A day after the Economic Offences Wing of Madhya Pradesh (EOW) detected a tiger hide at the residence of Deputy Commissioner of Tribal Welfare Department, Jagdish Prasad Sarwate, his mother has been arrested, an official said on Thursday.

The EOW personnel had uncovered a tiger hide during a raid at his residence in Adhartal area of Jabalpur. The tiger hide, measuring approximately 5 feet 5 inches in length and 5 feet 3 inches in width, was handed over to the Forest Department.

Subsequently, the Forest Department registered a case against Savitri Sarwate (70) as the house from where tiger skin was recovered is registered in her name.

She has been booked under Sections 9 and 50 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years.

A team of Forest Department officials questioned her on Wednesday, following which she was arrested.

According to Jabalpur DFO Rishi Shukla, during questioning, Savitri told Forest Department officials that she had received tiger skin from her father-in-law about 30 years ago, and the family was using it for religious purposes. However, she could not confirm how her father-in-law managed to get the tiger skin.

Shukla further said that the seized tiger skin has been sent to Nanaji Deshmukh Wildlife Institute for a detailed analysis.

The tiger skin discovery adds a new dimension to the ongoing corruption probe against Sarwate.

On July 22, EOW teams raided multiple properties linked to him in Jabalpur, Bhopal, and Sagar.

The raids revealed disproportionate assets worth over Rs 6.75 crore, while his declared income (from known sources) stands at just Rs 1.56 crore.

During searches for more than 10 hours, the EOW personnel had uncovered 56 bottles of costly liquor amounting to Rs 1.8 lakh, 17 immovable assets valued at Rs 3 crore and 10 other properties in the name of his mother, besides suspicious investments.

Among the seized items were 17 property documents, luxury vehicles, jewellery, and 56 bottles of expensive liquor. Properties registered in the names of Sarwate’s mother and brother are also under scrutiny, raising concerns about possible benami holdings.

Sarwate, who has served extensively in Jabalpur and currently holds additional charge of the Pre-Examination Training Centre, is now facing dual investigations -- one under the Prevention of Corruption Act and another under Wildlife Protection laws.

Officials suspect that more assets may be concealed in bank lockers, which are still being searched. The case has sparked outrage among conservationists and public officials alike, with legal experts noting that possession of a tiger skin, even decades old, constitutes a serious wildlife crime.

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