Five booked for hunting wild boar in Meerut, fined Rs 3 lakh

Meerut (UP), Sep 17 (PTI) Five people have been booked for allegedly hunting wild boar using live electric wires in Hastinapur range of Meerut district, a forest department official said on Wednesday.

Acting on a tip-off, a forest department team raided Makdumpur and Khurd Dayalpur villages late on Tuesday evening and apprehended the accused, who had caught the animal by laying live electric wires in fields, he said.

Some people had also gathered at the spot to buy the meat, the official said.

Around eight kilograms of wild boar meat, hide, hair, traces of blood, two motorcycles, a digital weighing machine and two sharp-edged weapons were recovered during the raid, he said.

The arrested men have been identified as Mintu, son of Kalu; Naresh Kumar, son of Khemchand; Anil, son of Baburam; Ravindra, son of Agnu, and Dhir Singh, son of Bhagwan Singh -- all residents of different villages in Meerut district.

Forest Range Officer Khushboo Chaudhary said a case has been registered under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

The accused were produced before the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), where they admitted to the crime and were later fined Rs 3 lakh.

Meerut DFO Vandana Phogat said Hastinapur State Barasingha Sanctuary is rich in biodiversity and home to a large population of deer, swamp deer and wild boar.

She warned that strict action, including jail terms, would be taken against those using electric wires, traps or any illegal means for hunting these animals. PTI COR ABN RUK RUK