2 shooters from Hyderabad, a group of five arrested for hunting blackbuck

Booked under the Wildlife Protection Act, police remands all the accused to judicial custody

 Two shooters from Hyderabad were arrested by Kalaburagi forest officials on the charges of hunting and killing a blackbuck, an endangered animal, in Karnataka. One of the shooters is kin of an IPS officer of Telangana. A case has been booked against the accused under the Wildlife Protection Act. Although despite of a police recovering a rifle from the accused a case under the Arms Act has not been registered.

Vijaya Kumar, Chittapur range forest officer revealed that the hunting took place on October 27 in Mallabad village of Sedam taluk of Kalaburagi district. It was a five-member hunting group. The three of the hunters are from Hyderabad and has been recognized as Wasif Hassan (52), son of Mohammed Hassan of Banjara Hills, his driver Peer Ahmed (21) and Ali Hussain (42) of Shantinagar. While the other two are local guides, Hanumanth and Venkatesh of Chandapur, Sedam. Reportedly Wasif is a well-known shooter of Telangana State Rifle Association (TSRA) and Hussain is a qualified shooter and also a member of the rifle association. It was confirmed by TSRA general secretary J Kiran.

The car owned by Wasif was seized by the forest officials. "Hussain said he joined Wasif later and did not take part in the hunting. We are verifying his claim." Kalaburagi division deputy conservator of forests MM Vanathi said the incident took place in a non-forest land on Karnataka-Telangana border. "Blackbucks stray from forest into nearby private land. We are checking whether trio have any history of hunting," said Vijaya Kumar. She further added, "A veterinary doctor confirmed that it was a blackbuck. We are not planning to send it to a forensic lab," she said. Asked about not slapping the Arms Act sections, she said: "There was a circular three years ago that forest department cannot book accused under Arms Act."

She said a proper seizure of panchanama was done and said the main accused was a arms licence holder, “Since the licensed weapon was misused, police can still book a separate case under the Arms Act. Police, however did not hand over us any mobile phones.” Assistant conservator of forest had visited the crime scene.