Banda, Feb 27 (IANS): Four villagers have been arrested for hunting a blackbuck in Tindwari forest area of Banda district.

The accused had set a trap in the field in Ghazni village here. On a specific tip-off, the forest department team raided the spot along with the police and arrested four people.

A case has been registered against them under the Wildlife Protection Act.

Station house officer (SHO) Arjun Singh said one Ram Ratan Nishad, a resident of Benda Ghat Laha Kyotra Dera, was hunting blackbuck deer by setting a trap in the Ghazni village, along with one Balvier, Ramkesh and one other. They were arrested from the spot.

The forest department team also recovered the net, axe and carcass of a deer from the spot.

The SHO said that a case has been registered against all the four on the basis of the complaint of the ranger of the forest department.

"There are about 600 blackbuck deer in the Tindwari area. It is a protected animal. Their hunting is prohibited. A case has been filed against the poachers under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. It carries a provision of imprisonment of up to seven years," said Sanjeev Kumar Agarwal, Divisional Forest Officer, Banda.