Jamnagar: A sessions court in the city on Friday dismissed the bail plea of two farmers who were arrested after a female lion was allegedly electrocuted on their farm in Hansthal village earlier this month.

The bench of Additional Sessions Judge RV Mandani rejected the bail applications of Hussain Noyda (53) and his nephew Nazarmamad alias Nizam Noyda (38). They were arrested on May 10 by the forest department after a lioness’s carcass was found buried in an abandoned limestone mine in Hansthal.

The lioness had been in the area since April and was electrocuted on May 3 by an electric fence on Nizam’s sorghum farm. The accused then buried her in the mine. The accused also removed a radio collar from the lioness and discarded it in the Dipadiya reserved forest, about five kilometers away, the forest department said.

Arun Kumar V, deputy conservator of forests of the Devbhumi Dwarka social forestry department, said, “The lioness weighed around 100 kilograms, making it unlikely that two men alone could load her carcass onto a bullock cart. We suspect more individuals were involved, but the accused are not revealing their names.”

The duo’s initial bail request was denied by the magisterial court, prompting them to apply to the sessions court, which also denied their bail application. DeshGujarat