HYDERABAD: The episode of Dr
Mujahid Ali Khan has revealed that police failed to cancel weapon licences of the accused involved in wildlife poaching cases, due to which they end up resorting to hunting again.
Lack of coordination between forest and police department is said to be the reason behind the accused going on with the hunting.
Hyderabad Tiger Conservation Society (Hyticos) founder
Imran Siddique told TOI, “In any wildlife poaching case where licensed firearms are used, the forest department should immediately seek cancellation of the gun licences. The police department is supposed to follow up and get the weapon licence cancelled. Besides, a database of poachers has to be maintained. Several rifle association members are importing firearms for sports shooting. Some misuse them and get involved in hunting wildlife. In the affidavit they file, they say they will not use the weapon for any purpose other than sports shooting.”
In March 2017, police said a deer was poached in Mahdavepur forest range in
Jayashankar-Bhupalapally district in which a sporting rifle was used. In 2015 in Boath, Adilabad, three persons from Hyderabad were arrested for deer poaching using a .22 rifle. In October 2015, 14 persons were arrested for killing a
Nilgai in
Tanur mandal.
Principal chief conservator of forests, Telangana, P K Jha told TOI, “After we seize the weapons, we immediately write to the police for cancellation of licence as they were misused by the licence-holders. In the past one year, we haven’t received any case of firearms caught in a poaching case.”Forest officials are unsure whether police had cancelled arms licences of poachers accused in previous cases.
Representative image 
