Leopard killing: 12 poachers held

By Our Staff Reporter

KHAMMAM, OCT. 14. The Aswaraopet police on Saturday arrested 12 poachers for allegedly hunting a leopard in Puchikunta forest, 20 km away from Dammapet, and seized from them three unlicensed weapons, gunpowder and bullets besides the bones and nails of the animal. Search is on for the missing skin as well as four others, who are accused in the case.

A poaching party, led by Saripelli Satyanarayana Raju from Jeelugumilli in West Godavari district and one Fareed of Jangareddigudem, took the help of Kondareddy tribals from Reddigudem village for hunting animals in the forest some time in September last. A leopard sighted in the forest was chased and hunted down by the party. Two of the accused - Ummala Ranga Reddy and Lachireddy - were badly mauled by the animal.

They shared the meat with the tribals to buy their silence. People of the villages in the vicinity, who heard the gun shots, mistook the poaching party scouting the forests to be naxalites as they were armed with guns and accompanied by tribals. They did not venture to report the matter either to the police or the forest officials concerned. The accused confessed to having the shot the animal for the pleasure of hunting, according to police sources. They claimed that the skin was abandoned on the spot as it was holed with bullets.

A special police party, which started combing the forest area last week, was informed of the regular movement of the armed gang in the forests. The police, who interrogated some tribals from Reddigudem village, picked up the poachers from different places. The forest officials also rushed to Aswaraopet to join the investigation.

The Superintendent of Police, Mr. K. Rajaratnam Naidu, who confirmed the arrests, said that the killing of the leopard came to light as the police parties sought to gather information about the gang frequenting the area. All the weapons were country-made. He said the main accused, Sarepalli Satrayanarayana Raju, was a professional poacher indulging in the trade of forest meat.

He said that two tribals - Ummala Ranga Reddy and Vetala Lachi Reddy - came under the animal's attack after they fired the first shot at it. Later, the animal was shot dead by using the three country weapons. The case would be handed over to the Forest Department, he said.

The accused persons arrested by the police were Saripalli Satyanarayana Raju, Fareed, Etala Pulla Reddy, Vetala Lachi Reddy, Ummala Ranga Reddy, Ummala Potireddy, Ummala Srinu Reddy, Ummala Pota Reddy, Ummala Raghava Reddy, Bollu Venkateswar Reddy, Ummala Venkat Reddy and Jijjuru Venkatarama Goud.

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