Crugre Ingen instrumental in revival of MRC

While investigations over the row related to Joubert Van Ingen’s property is on, old timers of the city recollect their memories with the deceased taxidermist and his family.

K S Chandrashekar, a former employee (manager) of Ideal Jawa Factory and member of Mysore Race Club (MRC), turns back the clock to the days of Van-Ingen family in city and their relationship with the MRC.

Foremost, Chandrashekar clarified to Deccan Herald that Joubert Van Ingen had three siblings and not two.

According to him, Dewet was the eldest brother, while Joubert was the youngest with Botha and Crugre being the second and third siblings, respectively.

Crugre was one among the founder, as well as a financier of the MRC. He had provided interest free loan for MRC’s progress to repay the loan sought by the Club from Vijaya Bank. The State government later took over the race club.

“The activities of the MRC actually kick started when the loans flowed from founders before it attained the present status,” added Chandrashekar.

He said that the family kept to themselves and did not have much interactions with outsiders. Chandrashekar who has visited Joubert Van Ingen’s house twice, remembers the trophies mounted on the walls. He even recollects the latter at work. “Hunted animals would be sent to Van Ingen from countries as far as Germany. He would stuff them and send them back. But many of the trophies which had not been claimed by people, still have been in the house,” he adds.

Exploitation

During later days, they might have sensed that people were exploiting them and this might have refrained them from mingling with everyone, he said.
Sons of Van Ingen’s brothers had estates and plantations at Wyanad in Kerala and Kutta in Madikeri.

DCF Devaraj said, police had requested the forest department officials of wildlife division to identify the head mounts and skins.

 Skins of many animals including deer, sambar, black buck, tiger, leopard, lion have been found, head mounts (horns and head) of antelope, singara, wild boar, wild dog, fox and others have been identified.

He said that shortly the department would catergorise licensed and unlicensed trophies.