Deer poaching ring busted in Chamarajanagar

CHAMARAJANAGAR: A poaching racket which used to kill deer for meat was busted on Saturday with the arrest of three persons by the forest authorities. A deer calf was also rescued.An Anti-Poaching Camp led by Range Forest Officer Ashok Kumar arrested the poachers at Jagery Forest Range in Kollegal limits at around 1 am on Saturday; venison, pelts and other weapons were also recovered from the poachers. The accused have been identified as Sagaya  Raj, Bhagya Raj and John Paul Nayak — all residents of Shiluvaipura, near Jagery. They were produced before the court and later handed over to judicial custody.Deputy Conservator of Forests Javed Mumtaz told Express said that the accused, when encountered by patrol officials in the middle of the forest, were evasive to their queries and were arrested on suspicion.The DCF added that the poachers during enquiry revealed that they employed a dog to chase the deer before killing it. They used to sell the venison at Rs 100 per kg. “We are taking care of the rescued calf, which may not be more than 10 days old. We will later release it to a zoo,” the DCF informed.