Alertness shown by the volunteers of Wildlife Welfare Society and Vanya Pashu Pakshi Samrakshan Samajik Sastha led to seizure of four kg flesh of spotted deer and three turtles in the category of Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 at Khapa on Monday.
On a tip-off about four persons killed a deer and kept its flesh in their houses near Hanuman Mandir, Shivalebaba Mutt, Khapa, the volunteers rushed to Khapa and informed forest officials and police about it, informed Nitish Bhandakkar of Wildliofe Welfare Society on Tuesday.
Then they went to the spot along with forest guards and cops. Forest Guards asked volunteers to laid a trap at the houses and ask the persons whether ‘Red Water’ is available or not’. Cops and volunteers raided the houses and found four kg of deer flesh thrown by Lakhan Murlidhar Tumane on the first floor of under construction building and three turtles in the house of Kunal Shende.
Forestmen seized the flesh and turtles and arrested Tumane while other accused are absconding. The volunteers who worked hard included: Daddu Ganvir, Anup Satpute, Amol Awarkar Khushvant Ganorkar, Gaurav Nagpure, Pankaj Badule and Gaurang Waikar. Sachin Athwale, Range Forest Officer, Saoner, while talking to The Live Nagpur, said that forestmen also pressed a dog squad in the service but found no clues. They produced Tumane on Tuesday before JMFC, Saoner, who granted him two days Forest Custody Remand. Forestmen registered an offence against the accused and are now searching for the missing persons in the case.