Two arrested for hunting nilgai, fined 2L

Surat: A nilgai was killed after getting trapped in a net in the Dahej area of Vagra taluka in Bharuch district. The large antelope got caught in a net set up to capture wild boar near the Bhutnath Mahadev Temple. Instead of wild boar, a nilgai got trapped in it. Vagra range forest officials reached the spot and launched an investigation. Two persons were arrested and fined Rs 1 lakh each for the crime.
Vagra range forest officer (RFO) Vijaydan Charan told TOI: "On receiving the information, we went to the spot. After speaking to the temple priest and other villagers, we got intelligence about the accused. We nabbed Ajay Talaviya and Rakesh Rathod, who are involved in the trapping of wild boar. They had laid the trap on Saturday night and the nilgai got trapped in it that night. The next day, it was found dead in the trap. As such deaths amount to hunting, we began legal proceedings."Both accused were booked under The Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and fined Rs 1 lakh each. Nilgai is a Schedule 3 animal, which requires protection under to law.The cause of the nilgai's death is still under investigation. Preliminary observations suggest it died due to lack of food and water and struggled in the trap for a long time. The forest department is also investigating whether any poison was administered. The scientific cause of death will be clarified after the postmortem report is received. The area where the nilgai died is its habitat. These animals roam about in the area.