Illegal hunting in Shimla: Three arrested with goral and firearms
Shimla, 26 February: In a major crackdown on illegal wildlife hunt, a joint team of forest and police officials arrested three persons in Rampur area of district Shimla today. Two were trying to put Goral, which is a protected animal in the vehicle. The vehicle was stopped on the road on suspicion, and during the search of the vehicle, the deceased Goral was located inside with two firearms.
The incident occurred on 26 February late at night when Usha Devi, a Forest Guard posted in Devthi beat of the Rampur range, received information that some people were involved in suspicious activity in the Munish forest area. At approximately 12:45 AM, she heard a very loud gunshot, and the light of torchlights, which showed signs of poaching or illegal hunting in the area.
When Usha Devi received the tip-off, she acted at once, asking her assistant, Om Prakash, to probe the matter. Approaching the scene, they saw a car speeding away towards Taklech. The forest guards promptly informed the local police, who established a blockade near a hospital in Taklech. When they arrived, the police pulled over the vehicle and arrested the three people inside.
Two Guns and Dead Goral Recovered
A meticulous search of the vehicle led to the recovery of the dead Goral, who had a gunshot wound with a bleeding neck. They also discovered two guns in the car: one visible, the other underneath the seat. Those weapons were unlicensed and the men produced no documents for the guns or hunting permissions.
The three arrested have been identified as Manjit Singh (son of Ranveer Singh) from Neerasu, Shubham (son of Sohan Singh) from Noli, and Kalamjit (son of Bhagat Singh) of Neerasu. They were apprehended as the accused failed to provide credible explanations regarding their possession of the Goral and weapons during the interrogation.
Accused Booked Under Wildlife Protection And Arms Act
A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed by the police against the accused. The three have been booked under the Section 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 which deals with the illegal hunting and trading of protected species. The police have also charged them under Section 27 of the Arms Act, 1959, pertaining to possession of the firearm and Section 3(5) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for different offenses.
The vehicle and firearms have been seized by police for further investigation. Authorities will also step up their efforts to combat illegal hunting activities in the area.
According to the officials, the timely action of police as well as the alertness of the local forest guard have been remarkable and showed the importance of community participation in controlling wildlife crime. The goral — a species endemic to the area — faces threats of habitat loss and poaching, thus immediate measures to protect such wildlife are direly needed.
This arrest serves as a reminder of the never-ending battle that must be fought to protect endangered species and uphold laws created to defend India’s rich wildlife. The authorities promised that its crackdown on poaching would continue, and that it would seek justice against all those responsible.
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