Three held in Rajura for poaching chital, 19 kg of meat seized

The Rajura forest department has detained three people in a case of chital poaching at Chunala. The action was taken on the evening of Tuesday, October 27. According to the forest department, a total of 19 kg of meat was seized from the spot.

The seized meat includes 15 kg of raw meat and 4 kg of cooked meat. An axe suspected to have been used in the hunt was also seized. The forest department said a male chital was killed in the Chunala beat of the Rajura forest range and its meat was being disposed of.

The department received a tip-off about the Chunala area, just four kilometres from Rajura town. The information was that a male chital had been hunted and its meat hidden away to be sold and eaten. Acting on this, forest staff raided the spot immediately. At the time of the raid, the accused were cooking chital meat, while the rest of the meat had been cut up and kept for sale.

The forest team detained Pintu Ganpati Radhi (50), Suresh Chilamwar and Raimalu Lingamwar at the spot. All three are residents of Chunala. During the search, 15 kg of raw meat, 4 kg of cooked meat and the axe used in the hunt were recovered.

A case has been registered against the three accused under the Wildlife Protection Act. Further legal action is under way.

The operation was carried out under the guidance of Sub-Divisional Forest Officer Mangesh Girdkar and Range Forest Officer Gajanan Ingle. Those who took part included Field Assistant Sanjay Garamde and forest guards Ankita Newere, Geeta Chavan, Meenakshi Satpute, Tanaji Kamle, Bhojraj Dandekar, Pawan Mandulwar and Maroti Chapale. Forest labourers Gangadhar Mohitkar, Santosh Kinake, Baldev Meshram, Naresh Nikhade and Gangadhar Sopankar also took part. The action has caused a stir among wildlife smugglers.