Tuesday, June 7 2005 20:09 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi/Jhajjar: Police today (Jun 7, 2005) raided the house of former Indian Cricket Captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi in a posh South Delhi locality and seized one of the two vehicles used in the alleged poaching of endangered black buck last week in Haryana.

A day after registering FIR against Pataudi and seven others charging them under various sections of Wildlife Act, Haryana police seized the blue Maruti Gypsy on which they had found the carcasses of the black buck and two rabbits, a rifle, a gun and some live cartridges near a wildlife sanctuary on Friday (Jun3, 2005) in Jhajjar.

Pataudi and six other accused, who were given the time till 17:00 hrs (IST) pm to appear before the Jhajjar police for investigation, failed to do so and were given notices extending the deadline for another 24 hours to appear before the police.

"We are serving upon them another notice to give them an opportunity to join the investigations," Jhajjar Superintendent of Police, Hanief Qureshi said after the expiry of the 17: 00 hrs (IST) deadline given to the accused to present themselves.

In another development, one of the eight accused Madan Singh, who is under arrest, has claimed before the Police that Pataudi had fired at the black buck.

Madan Singh, who was sent to judicial custody till June 13 by a court in New Delhi at the end of his one day police remand, in his disclosure statement before police said that Pataudi had fired on the Black buck.

Meanwhile Shashi Singh a resident of Delhi who is also named in the FIR sought anticipatory bail in a local court.

In his plea filed through his counsel in the court of Additional Sessions Judge Dharam Pal, Singh contended that no role was attributed to him in this case and he may be granted anticipatory bail on the ground that no purpose could be served by keeping him in jail.

He also argued that he had no intention to escape from trial and since all witnesses in this case were officials he could not tamper with the evidence.

The judge fixed June 9, as the next date of hearing on the anticipatory bail plea of Shashi Singh.

"After June 9, we will move another application seeking anticipatory bail for Pataudi," said the counsel indicating that the action would be taken depending on the Judge's verdict in Shashi Singh's application.