Two poachers, accused of shooting down a ten year old male elephant for tusks, were arrested in a joint operation by the Police and Forest department personnel, here on Monday. Officials are on the look out for six other persons, who are also accused in the crime.
The arrested have been identified as Bedegowda and Mahadeva, residents of Etthegowdanadoddi village in Chamarajanagar taluk. Bedaguli Madesha, Jadeswami, Gurusidda, Aalu, Nandeesh and Shamunayaka are absconding. Four pieces of elephant tusk, one country rifle, bullets, two axes, two machetes, two axel blades and a battery have been recovered from the arrested. Superintendent of police, P Rajendraprasad said that this was the first elephant poaching incident since the death of forest brigand Veerappan.
The accused have admitted to have poached the elephant on January 16, at Punajanur Forest Range. The Forest officials who had discovered the incident later, had lodged a complaint at Ramasamudra (East) police station. He said that the absconding poachers will be nabbed soon.
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