Uttar Pradesh: Poaching racket busted at skeet shooter's house

Lucknow: A major racket involving poaching of animals and trade in their body parts has come to light in Meerut district. Four people have been detained for questioning.

The coordinated raids were carried out by Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Wild Life department and the local police at the residence of Devendra Singh, the retired army official.

The main accused is Prashant Bishnoi, who is now absconding, is the national level skeet shooter and the son of the army official.

The Army official, Devendra Singh, said that he had no knowledge of his son’s activities and would not defend his son.

The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) had designated Prashant Bishnoi as a ‘renowned’ shooter and has given him licence to two weapons of 12 bore each.

Last November, he participated in 60th national championship and stood 65th.

According to police reports, the matter came to light when a raid was carried out in the home of the retired Army colonel who also owns a college in Bareilly district. The cops had received a tip-off form an informer.

Mr Bishnoi was part of a ‘hunting team’ that was sent to Bihar. In a highly controversial move, Bihar government had allowed hunting of Neelgai or Blue Bull claiming it was destroying crops of farmers.

A foreign national is also said to be involved in the racket. At least 140 weapons, licensed and illegal, locally and foreign made,  around 50,000 cartridges, skin and carcass of a leopard, blackbuck and extinct animals, antlers, bones and ivory tusk, 15 stuffed deer, sambhar and blackbuck were seized in raids. A sum of Rs 1 crore in cash was also recovered.