Thursday, June 9 2005 14:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jhajjar (Haryana): A court in Jhajjar today (Jun 9, 2005) rejected the anticipatory bail plea of one of the accused in the poaching case involving former cricket captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.

Additional Session Judge Dharam Pal rejected the anticipatory bail plea of Shashi Singh, one of the eight accused in the alleged poaching of endangered black buck, on the ground of jurisdiction. The court asked the petitioner to move the Special Environment Court at Faridabad in this regard.

Singh, a resident of Delhi, had sought bail saying no role was attributed to him in the case.

The counsel for Singh and Pataudi told sources in Jhajjar on phone, "We will soon take a decision whether to file fresh anticipatory bail application (of Pataudi) in Faridabad Court or in High Court at Chandigarh."

The Haryana Police has given June 10 as the deadline for the accused, including Pataudi, to surrender. One of the accused Madan Singh of Aurangpur village in Jhajjar district is in judicial custody till June 13.

He had allegedly told the police that Pataudi had fired at the black buck.

Pataudi and seven of his accomplices have been charged under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act and if found guilty could face a jail term of seven years and a fine of Rs 25,000.

An FIR was registered against the accused and the Haryana Police seized the Maruti Gypsy vehicle in which the carcasses of a black buck and two rabbits, a rifle, a gun and some live cartridges were allegedly found near a wildlife sanctuary in Jhajjar.