According to the State Tiger Strike Force (STSF), the poachers had killed the tiger for occult rituals aimed at triggering “money rain”a superstition claiming that certain tiger body parts can bring sudden wealth.

The crime came to light on 3 December 2018, when teams from STSF Bhopal and STR raided a makeshift hut on the farm of Jaman Singh Batti near a girls’ hostel in village Kamti. Four men were caught performing rituals with a tiger skin and its whiskers.

Investigators found that the accused were using three severed paws, 12 claws and whiskers as part of the ritual. Main accused Hemant alias Babloo Batti admitted that he had hidden parts of the tiger at a prayer spot inside his home.

Initially, four suspects  Hemant alias Babloo Batti, Omprakash, Jayprakash and Chamansingh  were arrested. Their interrogation led authorities to the remaining five members of the gang, who were taken into custody during the subsequent investigation.

The court convicted all nine under Sections 9 (hunting) and 49B (illegal possession) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Calling the crime “extremely serious,” the court refused any leniency and handed down the four-year prison term.

Of the convicts, four belong to Narmadapuram district (Pipariya–Sohagpur region) and five are from Chhindwara district.