Silvester D'Souza

Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (MS)

Kundapur, Nov 19: Forest department officials chased a vehicle of poachers for more than half an hour to a distance of 15 km and confiscated the same. However, the accused in the vehicle managed to escape.

This operation in cinema style was conducted by the forest department officials on the early morning of Thursday, November 19.

Acting on definite information that a gang of poachers in a vehicle is trying to hunt animals in the reserve forest at Harkur of the taluk, forest department officials rushed to the spot. The poachers who saw the forest department vehicle, tried to escape in their Bolero vehicle bearing registration number KA 09 P 7218.

The poachers tried to give a slip to the forest officials for more than 15 km under the limits of Bagwadi Cross and Mullikatte via Harkur by driving the vehicle at high speed. However, the forest department officials rose to the occasion and chased the hunters. The hunters collided their vehicle to a coconut tree near Kenchanur and escaped from the spot.

It is suspected that there were four accused in the vehicle. Officials of the department have intensified the investigation and are on the search for the absconding accused. The officials confiscated the vehicle, iron rod, tarpaulin and mobile that the hunters left in the vehicle before escaping.

Kundapur zonal forest officer Prabhakar Kulal, deputy zonal officer Dilip, forest guards Manjunath Naik, Bangarappa and jeep driver Ashok were in the team that carried out the operation.