Poacher killed and accomplice injured in forest shooting in Sindhudurg

Kolhapur: A 31-year-old poacher was killed, and his 26-year-old accomplice was injured in the early hours of Wednesday after unidentified people fired at them in a forest in the Vaibhavwadi tehsil of Sindhudurg district.The police have registered a case against two unidentified people at the Vaibhavwadi police station. The police, the forest department and the Sindhudurg crime branch personnel are on the lookout for the accused.The injured 26-year-old poacher is under treatment at the sub-district hospital at Kankavli.According to the Sindhudurg police, Sagar Potale, 31, and Krishna Katkar, 26, residents of Archine Dhanogadwadi, went to the forest area to hunt on Tuesday night. While they waited for prey near the Kurli canal, two unidentified men arrived on a bike, opened fire on them, and fled towards Dardewadi village.Sagar was hit in the chest and collapsed on the spot, while Krishna was hit in the shoulder. He managed to contact friends from his village. Villagers went to the forest and found Sagar lying in a pool of blood. They took both men home and then called the police. The police shifted them to Kankavli sub-district hospital, where Sagar was declared dead.Superintendent of police Mohan Dahikar, additional superintendent of police Nayoni Satam, local crime branch inspector Praveen Kolhe and Vaibhavwadi inspector Manoj Sonawalkar, along with the forensic team and dog squad, visited the site.The incident created a stir in the area, and doubts are being raised about whether it was an ambush. Inspector Kolhe said, "The panchnama has been carried out, and further investigation is being carried out. Krishna is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kankavli, and his condition is critical. Once his statement is recorded, more details will be revealed. Whether the firing was accidental or intentional is being investigated."