Officials of the Forest mobile squad nabbed a gang of four and seized two wild boars and two deer which they were taking in an SUV after a chase on the outskirts of Ramanagara district on Friday.
Based on a tip-off, a team led by Deputy Conservator of Forest Sunitha Bai rushed to the area where the accused were moving suspiciously and tried to intercept the SUV. Sensing trouble, the accused tried to escape but were chased and caught near Chikkakuntanahalli in Ramanagara.
The accused have been identified as Srinivasa, 46, Hanumantharaju, 44, and Muniraju, 38, and their associate who accompanied them to get a share of the meat.
Along with the two boars and the two deer, the officials seized two guns, including an air gun, a machete and knives.
The accused, according to the officials, confessed to operating in the area for the last year and to have killed over 20 wild animals. The accused said that they illegally hunted for personal consumption of meat and distributing it to relatives and friends, but considering the amount of animals, the official suspect that it could also be for commercial purposes.
The officials have seized the weapons and approached the local police concerned to ascertain the purpose of having a licenced weapon with a recommendation to cancel it.
The officials have booked the accused under the Forest Act and remanded them in judicial custody while investigation is on to ascertain their previous hunting activities.
Published – January 11, 2025 07:51 pm IST