Chikkamagaluru: A group of revellers celebrating New Year on Saturday night, shot and killed two Sambar deer at Thanigebailu Wildlife Sanctuary in Tarikere, Chikkamagaluru district, raising questions on whether they were actually posing as revellers with the intent to poach. Eleven of the 12 member group were caught red-handed at a check-post at Kemmangundi on Sunday morning with the fresh deer carcasses loaded at the back of their vehicles -one skinned, the other had its hind legs chopped off. The hunt is on for the twelfth man who was reportedly armed and has since gone missing.
The group, which had entered the sanctuary in two four wheelers and were armed with guns and other hunting equipments, had reportedly taken two sharp-shooters along.
As they were passing through Bababudangiri area en route to Kemmangundi, the group is said to have come across a male and a female Sambar deer and shot and killed both animals. Both the poached animals were loaded into the back of their vehicles. The female Sambar deer had been expertly skinned. The male's hind legs chopped off.
Forest officials identified members of the group as Rafeeq Ahmed, Mir Ali, Mir Mudassir, all residents of Bengaluru, Akhtar Ahmed and his Mohammed Sameer, residents of Hassan, Mohammad Rizwas, a resident of Kodlipet, Syed Ahmed of Mysuru, with Arun, Harish, Prasanna and Chetan, who helped in hunting and are residents of Attigundi. All, barring Rafeeq were detained by forest personnel.
Among the arrested, Mohammad Sameer, is said to be a lifetime member of the Karnataka State Rifle Association and an adept shooter while Syed Ahmed, is a post-graduate in Environment Science. Rafeeq, who fled from the spot had firearms.
When the group who had come in two four-wheelers were intercepted by the forest personnel at Kemmangundi, they told officials, they were tourists and were only passing by. The dead animals were discovered when the vehicles were searched.
