TENKASI: Alangulam forest range officials have arrested three people and have launched a search for seven others for hunting spotted deer in Uthumalai West beat on Sunday night. The three were produced before the Alangulam judicial magistrate on Monday and were remanded.
The accused were identified as C Pon Ananth (46), T Rajalingam (40) of Kanniyakumari, and E Ranjith Singh Raja (40) of Thoothukudi.
Sources said, "The accused, along with their accomplice from various other districts, arrived at Uthumalai in three vehicles and hunted a spotted deer.
While seven of them escaped in two vehicles, the trio who had the deer carcass and weapons met with an accident. As the car could not be started, they hid the deer and weapons and waited for help. As Uthumalai police found them in a suspicious manner, and detained them.
As they found animal blood in their car, they handed them over to the forest officials. Later, the forest officials arrested the trio and seized the animal carcass, guns, knives, torchlights, smartphones, cooking vessels, and their vehicle."
While Ananth was admitted to the Tenkasi government headquarters hospital due to health issues, the others were produced before the judicial magistrate and remanded.
Officials said, "The three were booked under nine sections of the Wildlife (Protection) Act and Arms Act."
Sources added, "The trio and the absconding accused could have hunted at least two spotted deer. Since they had vessels, they might have allegedly cooked one of them. As the accused are from different districts, they could be part of a large network."