Belagavi: Police have recovered a large number of horns, believed to be of endangered Sambar deer, during a raid at Belagundi, on the city outskirts, and arrested five people in this connection.
During preliminary investigation, it came to light that the accused were hunting deer in the neighbouring forests and collecting horns on a regular basis.
Police Commissioner D.C. Rajappa disclosed the names of the accused as Nagesh Madar, Ramachandra Dalavi, Ravindra Kolkar, Parashuram Nilajkar and Aman Kanabargi. The horns were stored at a farmhouse, owned by one Balu Bijagarni at Belagundi.
After hunting the animals, the accused used to take the horns to Belagundi and sell them.
Police said the accused polished the horns and sold them claiming that they were elephant tusks. During a similar raid two years ago at a house in Shetty Galli, more than a tonne of horns of wild animals, tiger claws and a large number of elephant tusks, worth several crores, were recovered. It came to light later that the horns were stored in the house for more than 20 years. The horns were being exported by the accused, Salim Chamdewale of Belgavi.
