Two persons were arrested and a country-made rifle and six bullets were seized from them during a routine vehicle check at Nadugani check post in the Nilgiris on late Sunday morning.
The men were identified as P. Mani (52) and M. Sasikumar (39) from Devala Hatty in Pandiyar. During questioning, it came to light that Mani and Sasikumar had purchased a country-made weapon and the bullets from two persons in Kerala in order to poach wild game.
The police seized the rifle and bullets and learned that the men had purchased the gun for ₹ 1.2 lakh from Kerala. The two were booked under the Arms Act and The Explosive Substances Act and remanded in judicial custody. The police have registered a case against the two men from Kerala from whom Mani and Sasikumar purchased the weapon and bullets and are on the lookout for them.
The Police and Forest Department officials are investigating whether the men have links to any of the recent poaching incidents in Gudalur and Pandalur.
