India: The Forest Department officials from Shahpur have arrested five people from Kasara near Igatpuri who had entered the forest with an intention of poaching.

A few days ago, Range Forest Official Prashant Deshmukh received a tip-off from his sources that some people were going to enter the forest with an intention of poaching. Without wasting any time Deshmukh soon prepared a plan to catch the culprits.

Talking to mid-day, Deshmukh said, "We prepared a strategy in order to catch the poachers and a trap was laid in Dhobhipada village near Kasara on July 31. We arrested five people — Dilip Pardhi, Buwa Bhavre, Ramesh Pardhi, Soma Varma and Bandu Bhengal — from the forested area, in connection with the same and recovered a gun, two bikes and other things used for poaching from them."

A case of poaching has been registered under various sections of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. In April, mid-day had done a story about how Deshmukh while patrolling near Umberkhand village saw a fire in a forested patch. On further investigation, the officials caught three poachers and seized four dead quails along with a net and a trap.

(Source: The Mid-Day)