Bengaluru: CID forest cell officials along with police conducted a surprise raid on Sri Guru Dutta Swamiji’s Dutta Peeta Ashram in Hoskerehalli and recovered two black buck skins and three spotted deer skins. The team of around eight officials including police officers from the C.K. Achukattu police station visited the ashram on Monday evening after they received information that the swami’s throne has deer skins.
When the officials reached the ashram for the raid, the management asked them to pay Rs 1,000 for swami’s darshan. Later when the officials said they were accompanied by police and their purpose was not exactly to visit the swamiji, the ashram management quickly made all the forest cell officials sit in a line of chairs and felicitated them. But the forest cell officials searched the ashram and recovered the five deer skins. Later, they filed a complaint against the swamiji under Indian Wildlife Protection Act at the CK Achukattu police station.
“While the blackbuck is protected under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, the spotted deer is protected under Schedule III,” Sharath Babu, Honorary Wildlife Warden of BBMP, said.
