(NDTV)
A huge racket of poaching, illegal wildlife hunting and arms smuggling has been uncovered in joint raids carried out by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), wildlife department and local police, in Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut. Four people have been detained for questioning.
Raids were carried out at home of retired army personnel – a colonel, who owns a college in Bareilly. Also in question is the army officer’s son, Prashant Bishnoi, who is a national level shooter. At least 140 weapons, licensed and illegal, locally and foreign made, around 50,000 cartridges, skin and carcass of a leopard, blackbuck and extinct animals, antlers, bones and ivory tusk, 15 stuffed deer, sambhar and blackbuck were seized in raids. Around 170 kilogram of meat, believed to be of Neelgai, blue bull, was also seized found at home.
The seized sample will be sent to wild life institute of Dehradun for forensic examination.
Prashant Bishnoi is a national level skeet shooter. Last November he participated in 60th national championship and stood 65th. National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has designated him as a “renowned” shooter and therefore he has license for two weapons of 12 bore each.Mr Bishnoi was part of a “hunting team” that was sent to Bihar. In a highly controversial move, Bihar government had allowed hunting of Neelgai or Blue Bull, claiming it was destroying crops of farmers.
