Gundlupete : In a classic case of the fence grazing the crop, a CoD DySP  who is facing charges of hunting down two deer in the Omkara Forest area in Bandipur national park limits has been arrested along with his six aides.  The arrested DySP is Dharmesh.

It has been gathered that they had hunted the deer in Kottanahalli forest area on January 30, Thursday night.  Sources said the DySP and his friends who  entered the forest area, had unauthorisedly  shot dead two female spotted deer aged around one and a half years using the 303 rifle and double barrel gun given to him  as a police officer.

The others arrested are Mohammad Hameed, Atiq Ahmed, Farid Halmia of Mysore and Manjayya and Raghu of Rayanakere  in HD Kote Taluk.  Two deer, double barrel gun, 303 rifle (government gun), Mahendra Jeep (MER 8436) and torches have been seized.

In fact the incident came to light when the forest personnel rushed to the forest area on hearing the sound of the gun fire. All the seven have been booked under Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. Ravikumar, Assistant Conservator of Forests,  Satish, Girish, Forest officers, Dr Nagaraju, Veterinary officer and others visited the spot.

The arrested persons have been produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody.