The Nilgiris forest division has arrested the main accused in the poaching of a gaur in the Kundah forest range in October, 2023.
The gaur was shot and killed by a gang using a firearm near Kattery Dam in Kundah range and an investigation was launched into the incident. The investigation led to the identification of eight suspects based out of Gudalur in the Nilgiris.
A few days after the incident, a vehicle used by the gang to carry out the hunt was secured by the Forest Department. Three of the eight suspects involved in the incident were also picked up by the department on December 6, forest officials said in a press release.
The Forest Department was on the lookout for five other accused, including a local ward councillor from O’Valley town panchayat, identified as ‘Mandapathil’ Shaji.
On Monday, Forest Department officials, acting on a tip-off, arrested Shaji in Udhagamandalam. Four other accused, Shaji’s brother Shaiju, Juliet, Jose Kutty and Kutty Krishnan surrendered before the Judicial Magistrate court in Udhagamandalam.
