Three poachers arrested; they used to supply meat to resorts and home stays

Mysuru: The Forest Department officials have busted a racket involving hunting of wild animals and supplying the meat to resorts and home stays  by arresting three poachers.

The Forest staff, who were on their regular beat on Mysuru-Virajpet National Highway at Anechowkur Wildlife Range in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve on Saturday midnight, took Appaiah of Attur, Arun of Guhya in Siddapur and Manju of Gadde Mane (Attur) and interrogated them during which the wildlife meat selling racket came to light.

On Saturday at about 1 am, the Forest staff saw a white coloured Maruti Omni van parked on Mysuru-Virajpet Highway and went near the van during which a person inside the van was shocked to see the Forest staff and tried to flee.

The staff, who caught hold of him, questioned him during which the person told him that he along with two others had come to hunt wild animals and told them the other two had gone inside the forest.

The Forest staff, who immediately swung into action, conducted an operation and caught hold the two persons hiding inside the forest and seized a gun and torches they had.

They then brought all the three along with the van to the Forest Office and subjected them to interrogation during which the three revealed that they had come to hunt wild animals. They are said to have confessed of poaching a Gaur during Christmas but could not transport it and also told the Forest staff that they were supplying the meat of wild animals to a few resorts and home stays nearby.

All the three accused were produced before a Court, which remanded them to judicial custody.

Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Harshakumar Chikkanaragunda and Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Dayanand guided Range Forest Officer (RFO) P.C. Dilip Kumar, Deputy RFOs D. Vinod Kumar and M.H. Nandan Kumar, Forest Guards Shivappa and Siddappaji, STPF staff and Anechowkur Wildlife Zone staff, who took part in the nabbing operation.

Based on the information provided by the accused, the Forest Department authorities are keeping an eye on resorts and home stays, it is learnt.