Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Forest department officials caught seven people with illegal weapons during a night operation in Mhow’s Malendi area on Monday. The team found the group sitting around a bonfire deep inside the forest.
Officials from the Indore forest division confirmed on Tuesday that a night patrol in the Mhow forest range led to the detention of several suspected poachers and the recovery of weapons, The intensified patrolling follows a recent leopard poaching incident that has put the division on heightened alert.
According to forest officials, the operation began at around 8:30 PM on December 8 after an informer tipped off about suspicious activity near Nandiwar village in the Malendi area. A patrol team reached the area, cordoned it off and apprehended seven people.
One of the suspects allegedly attempted to dispose of certain items in the forest, prompting a detailed search. The team recovered a sword (talwar), a country-made firearm (desi katta) and five live cartridges. The suspects were identified as Devkaran, Vikas, Mohit, Shekhar, Vishal and Ravi. Another man Lokesh was detained for further questioning.
DFO Pradeep Mishra, IFS, said a preliminary offence report was filed under the Wildlife (Protection) Act and that each detainee’s role would be examined closely. He said that the material recovered “strongly indicated the possibility of hunting activity,” though he added that final conclusions would follow only after a complete investigation.
Reaffirming the department’s stance, Mishra declared, “We are maintaining a strict, zero-tolerance approach towards wildlife crime.”
Forest department ranger Nayan Kumar Palvi said that the court released all the seven accused on bail on Tuesday.
