By Express News Service

CHIKKAMAGALURU: New year eve’s revelry turned unpleasant when a group of 12 persons including techies from Bengaluru were caught poaching Sambars at the Tanegebailu Range in the Bhadra Tiger Reserve. One offender is still absconding.

According to sources, eight of the offenders are from Bengaluru--educated and highly placed. They are accused to have killed two Sambars (one of the largest of the deer species) – one animal was a massive 12-15 year old adult weighing around 350-400 kgs.

According to forest officials, 11 people were arrested and produced before the Tarikere court on Sunday. In an operation that continued till the early hours, the officials booked a case under Wildlife Protection Act and seized the dead bodies of the two animals and also the two weapons used in the hunting operations.

It is reported that except for one 67 year old, all the other seven are young professionals - two working in Infosys, one in Global Travels Pvt Ltd, one is a student of Jain University, two are sharp shooters with one of them being a member of Rifle Association of India.

The arrested include - Mohammed Sameer Ahmed (29), a Karnataka state Rifle Association member; Akhtar Ahmed (67), coffee estate owner from Saklespur; Rafiq Ahmed (44); Mohammed Rizwan (46), a timber business owner and planter from Sakleshpura; Syed Ahmed (30), an environmental engineer; Meer Nakeeb Ali (18), a PU student at Jain College; Meer Nayyer Ali (30) of Global Travels Pvt Ltd; Meer Mudassar Ali (23), an employee at Infosys, and the rest four from Attigundi village, Chikkamagaluru district - Aruna (23), Harish (25), Chetan (26) and Prasanna (18).

Rafiq Ahmed, a real estate agent from Richmond Town, a sharp shooter is absconding.