Three Hyderabad Men Among Six Arrested for Blackbuck Hunting in Bidar

Six persons, including three residents from Hyderabad localities such as Falaknuma, Malakpet, and Bahadurpura, were arrested for alleged illegal hunting of a blackbuck at Chondi-Mamadapur grassland near the Honnikeri Reserved Forest in Karnataka’s Bidar district, forest officials said.

The incident took place on August 17 at the grassland, a recognised natural habitat for the blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra). Alert residents from Chondi Tanda and Mamadapur Tanda chased and caught three suspects on the spot before handing them over to the local police and the Forest Department.

Three other suspects fled the scene immediately after the incident, prompting authorities to form a special search team. A joint operation conducted by the Forest and Police departments of Bidar and neighbouring Kalaburagi, with assistance from Telangana Forest authorities, led to the apprehension of the remaining three suspects on August 18.

Sumitkumar Subhashrao Patil, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Bidar, confirmed that two four-wheelers and a rifle used in the offence were seized during the operation.

The arrested individuals were identified as Abdul Sayeed from Falaknuma, Mohd Hameed Uzzaman from Malakpet, Mohd Naseer from Bahadurpura, alongside Karnataka residents Shoaib Malik, Areef Khan, and Md Haji from Chincholi taluk in Kalaburagi district.

A wildlife offence case was registered, and the six accused were produced before a court for legal proceedings. The investigation is being led by Praveenkumar More, Range Forest Officer, Bidar.

According to the Forest Department, the blackbuck is a Schedule-I protected species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, carrying severe penalties for hunting or killing. Preliminary inquiries revealed that individuals from Telangana arrived equipped with sophisticated long-range firearms. Authorities noted that further investigations are ongoing to establish the complete sequence of events and identify any additional collaborators.