In a significant crackdown on wildlife crime, Madhya Pradesh forest authorities have arrested three individuals for the alleged poaching of a blackbuck, an animal granted the highest level of protection under Indian law. The incident occurred in the Rahatgarh forest area of Sagar district.
Midnight Operation Leads to Arrests
The suspects were apprehended in a well-coordinated late-night operation on Thursday. Officials from the forest department had received specific intelligence about two vehicles entering the Berkhedi beat's Tehra–Tehri region under suspicious circumstances. Acting swiftly on this tip-off, a team was deployed to block forest routes and take concealed positions within the bushes, lying in wait for the suspects' return.
Their patience paid off around 3 am when the two cars finally emerged from the dense forest track. The officials immediately surrounded the vehicles and detained the three occupants. A subsequent search of the cars yielded concrete evidence of the crime.
Recovered Evidence Points to Serious Offences
The search led to the discovery of several incriminating items, directly linking the accused to the poaching act. The seized materials included:
- Approximately 10 kilograms of blackbuck meat.
- The hide (skin) of the poached animal.
- An illegal .22-bore rifle along with 15 live cartridges and three empty shells.
- Illegally felled teak wood.
Forest department officials confirmed that the poached animal was a female blackbuck. The blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) is listed under Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which affords it absolute protection with the most stringent penalties for violations.
Accused Booked Under Wildlife Act
The three arrested individuals have been identified as Wasim Khan (resident of Mandi Bamora), Omkar (resident of Tehra–Tehri), and Raju (from Semramedha). The forest department has registered a case against the trio under relevant sections of the stringent Wildlife Protection Act.
This operation highlights the ongoing challenges in protecting India's vulnerable wildlife and the continued efforts by forest authorities to combat poaching. Successful interventions like these rely heavily on local intelligence and swift, decisive action by enforcement teams.
