2 arrested for killing gaurs in Avaregunda Reserve Forest

Madikeri: Kushalnagar foresters arrested two accused for illegal entry into reserve forest area and shooting dead two gaurs. The miscreants illegally entered the Avaregunda Reserve Forest area under the Kushalnagar Range Forest and shot dead two gaurs in the last week of April. By the time the residents woke up in the middle of the night due to the sound of gunfire, the accused fled in a vehicle, leaving the dead gaurs at the spot.Kushalnagar range forest officer Ratan Kumar registered a case in this regard. After this, an investigation team was formed to track down the accused under the guidance of Madikeri division deputy conservator of forests Bhaskar, ACF Gopal AA, and range forest officer Ratan Kumar.The forest department officials who conducted the investigation arrested the accused, Askar, 26, a resident of Kudugadde in Guhya village, and Vinod Kumar, 34, a resident of High School Paisari in Siddapur, on Saturday.The main accused and the shooter who shot the gaurs, Suri Subrahmanya, a resident of Kudugadde in Guhya village, is absconding, said forest department officials.The department officials said that the accused used a vehicle, which is in the name of Pazhil, to commit the offence. The forest department officials have launched a search for the absconding accused.