JAIPUR: The authorities have no clue yet to the whereabouts of Kalya Bawaria, a notorious poacher who escaped from a Forest Department lock-up in Tehla range of the Project Tiger sanctuary Sariska on Saturday night. Kalya, a "graded" poacher who had about three dozen cases against him for poaching of wildlife, including tigers and leopards, was brought from Alwar jail on a production warrant by the sanctuary authorities a day before his escape. Kalya reportedly fled after midnight while the guard was fast asleep.

Kalya belongs to the band of plunders of Sariska, who would not spare any wild animal, big or small. He assumed notoriety in the 1980s along with equally infamous hunters from the Bawaria community such as Surjan, Bhoja and Kala. Experts place them in a different category than that of Sansar Chand, presently in custody for killing tigers in Sariska and trading on tiger parts, as they are basically hunters and not traders.

Kalya was caught eight months ago in Sikar district and was brought to Sariska on June 16 for questioning. After producing him in court at Thana Gazi tehsil in Alwar district on Saturday, the Forest authorities had him on remand. According to sources at the Sariska sanctuary, Kalya had his evening meal before he was locked up at 9. When the forest guard, Badrilal, sleeping outside the cell, woke up at 1.30 a.m., the lock was found open and Kalya was missing.

"The escape is most unfortunate, coming as it does when the sanctuary is going through a critical phase," said Somshekhar, Field Director of Sariska Project Tiger, talking on phone from Bangalore where he is participating in a short-term course. "Kalya is a big crook and now only the police can help us get him back," he said.

Mr. Somshekhar was worried about the adverse impact the development could have on his staff. "After the loss of all the tigers in the sanctuary we are on an attempt to rebuild everything we lost in the past in Sariska, including our self-confidence," he said.

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