The forest department has arrested a medicine specialist doctor for his alleged involvement in the Bengal Tiger skin smuggling trade.

The accused has been identified as Dr Maheswar Das, who was posted at the Udala Government Hospital in Mayurbhanj district.

He was nabbed by a special team of the forest department from Bhadrak on Friday. With his arrest, the number of arrested in the tiger skin smuggling trade has risen to 12.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Balasore, Khushwant Singh, told The Telegraph: “On Monday, we arrested 11 people in connection with trade of a Bengal Tiger skin from Soro area in Balasore. While we were interrogating the prime accused, he revealed the doctor’s name. During the interrogation, the doctor admitted to being involved in this tiger skin trade.”

When asked whether the doctor was trying to buy the skin for his possession or was directly involved in the tiger skin trade, Singh said: “We are investigating that aspect. We are also looking into his antecedents. The doctor has been presented in court and remanded to judicial custody.”

Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF), Jayashree Murmu, who arrested the doctor, told this paper: “Dr Das’s building in Soro was used for storing the tiger skin. All 11 people involved in the tiger skin trade were arrested from the house in Soro.”

“We suspect the doctor played a significant role as we have found several chats between him and the key accused, along with others,” Murmu said.

“Several videos from his mobile phone were also recovered. If he was not involved in the trade, why would he try to delete most of the chats and videos?”

She added: “The tiger’s skin appeared to be that of an adult. The skin was intended for trade, and a hectic attempt was made to arrange a buyer. The money, around ₹2 lakh from the sale, would have been divided among them.”

However, many people are sceptical about the doctor’s involvement in the trade, believing he might have been trying to acquire the skin for his personal use. Some individuals, due to astrological beliefs, attempt to keep tiger skins in their homes.

Murmu said: “Possession of a tiger skin itself is illegal under the law, a special team arrested Das from another house of his in Bhadrak, about 40 kilometres from Soro. Another scheduled animal, Alexandrine parakeet, was also found in his possession.”

Sources said that the tiger killed likely belonged to Similipal, although forest officials have remained tight-lipped about this.

The seizure of the tiger skin and the involvement of educated individuals like Dr Das have raised concerns among forest officials about the safety of a three-year-old tigress named Zeenat, who left the Similipal Tiger Reserve in Mayurbhanj and ventured into Bengal. There is still no sign of her return to Similipal.