Four Arrested for Sambar Deer Poaching in Mayurbhanj

Baripada: Forest officials of the Similipal North Wildlife Division have arrested four individuals in connection with the alleged poaching of a sambar deer in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, officials said.

The arrests were made following an early morning search operation conducted on March 27 by personnel of the Thakurmunda Wildlife Range in Asankudar village under Thakurmunda police limits. During the raid, one of the accused, Arjun Mahali (35) of Asankudar village, was apprehended from the TL-8 compartment area while he was allegedly chopping a sambar carcass.

During interrogation, Mahali revealed the names of three accomplices who had managed to flee the spot. Acting on the information, forest officials subsequently arrested the remaining accused — Sunil Mahali (23), Bikram Mahali (41), both residents of Asankudar village, and Berga Dangil (50) of Ranibhol village — from different locations.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the accused were involved in illegal hunting activities, in violation of several provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Officials stated that the accused have been booked under Sections 9, 27, 29, 31, 39, 49B, and 52 of the Act, and are punishable under Section 51 of the same law, as amended up to 2022.

All four accused were produced before the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) in Baripada on March 28 and have been remanded to judicial custody.

Further investigation into the case is underway, officials added.