Gun Licence of Ex-MLA's Son Accused of Poaching Wildlife Cancelled

While the poaching incident occurred in Khammam district, Raghu, the adopted son of Nageswara Rao, is from Thati Subbanaguem of Dammapeta mandal in Bhadradri Kothagudem district, where the gun was registered.

The Khammam district forest officer Siddharth Vikram Singh said inquires had revealed that the November 24, 2025, poaching of deer inside the Neeladri Urban Forest Park in Sathupally was not the first by Raghu and that he was in the habit of poaching wildlife regularly. Following presenting of evidence in the case, along with the fact that Raghu was arrested and remanded to judicial custody on December 5, 2025, the Bhadradri Kothagudem police cancelled the licence issued for ‘sporting purposes’ and ordered that the weapon be deposited with the police as per January 12 orders issued by the district superintendent of police.

“Our searches in the farmhouse of Raghu found some trophies and skins of deer which have been sent to CCMB in Hyderabad for forensic analysis,” Vikram Singh said.

The case pertained to Raghu, along with two others, with the help P. Gopikrishna, a battery vehicle operator inside the park, entering the premises on November 24 to hunt spotted deer, or chital, Telangana’s state animal. While entering the park, Raghu with Gopikrishna’s assistance turned off the CCTV cameras covering the park.

The incident came to light later and inquiries by the forest department officials with locals near the park and going through footage from CCTV cameras owned by store owners and others, established that Raghu and his accomplices were inside the park on November 24. While all the four accused, Raghu, Gopikrishna, S Sriram Prasad, and K Bharat, confessed to the poaching of deer following which they were remanded to judicial custody, and are now out on bail.