BENGALURU: Ongoing investigations by the Forest Department into the Tanigebailu Sambar hunting case has revealed a big poaching network and base camp in their backyard — the Kemmangundi forest area in Chikkamagaluru district.
The Najma Coffee Estate at Nettichowka area in Kemmanagundi has emerged as the ‘main poaching network-cum-camp’ for hunters and poachers to conduct illegal activities in protected areas, over the last few years. More than 50 protected Sambars and other wild animals are believed to have been killed by these hunters and poachers. The manager of the estate, Mohammad Arif, has also been detained for questioning. Sources say this may be followed by more arrests.
Investigations and combing operations that have been going for the fourth successive day have revealed that the 12 poachers had stayed in Najma Coffee Estate on December 31 before they set out for their new year hunt. According to forest sources, Arif had given them a place to stay in the labour quarters. And this is not the first time. The accused have often stayed here and have been regularly coming here.
A source added, “With the help of Mohammed Arif, they used to bring the hunted wild animals to the estate for processing. The hunted animal was chopped into meat, bones and the prized trophies. Even powdered antlers were found. The blood marks and the cache of antlers in the estate are testimony to their heinous and illegal activity.”
During combing operations in the Kemmangundi area, forest officials also found evidence of large-scale hunting of protected animals that may well have been going on for more than a year. In the coffee estate, they found blood marks in every nook and corner. Every wall and floor of the 10 labour quarters were plastered with blood. Search operations also found many Sambar antlers in the quarters.
Najma estate owner Javed Azgar, however, is now claiming that he was not party to the illegal activities in his estate.
However, forest sources say, “All evidence and information clearly reveal that the owner was also supportive of poaching activities. Without the owner’s knowledge, they couldn’t have stayed in the estate and indulged in poaching activity. In fact, this estate seems to be the base camp for all poachers where they got ready for hunting.”