Pataudi

Chandigarh, June 9: The noose tightened around Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi in a poaching case after a local court today rejected the anticipatory bail plea of a co-accused.

The former Indian cricket captain and seven others were booked by Jhajjar police on June 3 after carcasses of a black buck ? an endangered species ? and two rabbits, along with arms and ammunition, were seized from their New Delhi-bound vehicles during a routine highway check. They were questioned before being let off.

Later, on pressure from wildlife activists and villagers, an FIR was registered against Pataudi and the others under Sections 51 and 39(9) of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1971. The accused were given time till tomorrow to present themselves before Jhajjar police and assist in the investigation.

Today, Jhajjar additional sessions judge Dharam Pal rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Shashi Singh, one of the accused, on grounds of jurisdiction. He was asked to approach the environment court at Faridabad.

Another accused, Madan Singh of Aurangpur village in the district, is in judicial custody till June 13. He has allegedly accused Pataudi of killing the black buck.

A senior Haryana officer said the former cricket captain was likely to approach senior Congress leaders for extension of the deadline on account of his and his wife Sharmila Tagore’s “status”.

“Pataudi now wants to file an anticipatory bail plea himself. It could be filed in the Faridabad court or, in case it is also rejected there, at Punjab and Haryana High Court in Chandigarh,” the officer said.

Haryana police are gearing up to arrest Pataudi if he fails to present himself. Some senior police officers have been asked to keep themselves available. “We don’t want a huge tamasha during the arrest,” a senior police officer said.