The Hindu : Front Page : Kashmiri traders protest raid, arrest

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Monday, Jul 26, 2010
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Kashmiri traders protest raid, arrest

Staff Reporter

Seized shawls have “no connection whatsoever with endangered wild animals”

CHENNAI: The Kashmiri Traders' Welfare Association has protested the arrest and remand of one of their members on charges of selling shahtoosh shawls.

“We do not sell shahtoosh shawls,” a representative of the Association said.

It is illegal to sell shahtoosh shawls, made from the hair of Tibetan antelope, an endangered species.

The Forest Department claimed it had recently seized 10 shawls from a shop in Spencer's Plaza, Chennai, and arrested one person on charges of selling shahtoosh shawls.

A press release from the Association said, “a few days back some officials of the department posing as customers made enquiries about shahtoosh shawls in one of the shops owned by a Kashmiri in Spencer's Plaza. They were told by the salesman that manufacturing and trading of shahtoosh shawls is banned under the Wildlife Act. Hence, the shop neither possessed, nor could supply the shawls.

Instead they were shown high-quality pashmina shawls made of fine Merino wool which is traded legitimately throughout the world.

“But the officials bullied the salesman and took away a bundle containing 97 pashmina shawls along with two salesmen. They kept both the merchandise and the two salesmen illegally under their custody overnight. Next day, the officials released 87 shawls and one salesman and lodged a complaint with the Thousand Lights police station. The police without investigation arrested the innocent salesman and confiscated 10 shawls.”

In the press release, Ali Mohammad Mir, president of the Association, said the seized shawls were made of Pashmina and had “no connection whatsoever with endangered wild animals.”

The Association also offered full co-operation to authorities for a fair investigation.

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