Seven men were arrested after forest officials allegedly caught them hunting peacocks in the Baggalumadu forest area near Motanahalli in Yadgir taluk on Saturday night, officials said on Sunday. Two peacock carcasses and six country-made guns were recovered.
Seven Arrested for Illegal Hunting in Yadgir Forest
Seven individuals, aged between 25 and 36, were arrested in the Yadgir forest range for allegedly hunting peacocks. The accused, identified as Ningappa, Vasudeva, Kareppa, Kantappa, Yallalinga, Basavaraj, and Mallappa, are from various villages in Chittapur taluk of Kalaburagi district.
Yadgir range forest officer Burhan Uddin reported that the department acted on a tip-off regarding a group hunting within the forest. “We received information that some people were hunting peacocks in the Baggalumadu area. They were found carrying six guns,” Uddin stated. Following a raid, the suspects were arrested and presented in court on Sunday, where they were remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.
During the investigation, one of the suspects produced a valid gun license. However, the other five firearms were determined to be illegal country-made guns, according to Uddin.
Forest personnel had kept watch over the area after receiving the information before carrying out the raid. The two carcasses were recovered along with the firearms, which officials suspect were used for hunting.
The forest department has registered a case against the seven under relevant provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
Investigators are examining whether the men were involved in similar hunting activities earlier, tracing the source and ownership of the firearms, and looking into whether others were involved in the alleged hunting operation.
