COONOOR: Amid high drama, two persons from Assam wanted in connection with a rhinoceros poaching incident in that state were nabbed in Coonoor.
Police said that Mehboob Ali (23) and Noor Kasim (33), both hailing from Assam, were wanted by the Forest department there in connection with rhinoceros poaching in the Kaziranga national park in Assam.
They escaped the foresters there and came to Coonoor a few weeks ago. Meanwhile, the Assam foresters, having come to know that the poachers were hiding in Coonoor, contacted the police in the hills.
On Sunday night, a forest team from Assam and a team of cops here organised a joint operation and were successful in nabbing both the culprits in Coonoor. When the duo was taken to Ooty for interrogation, Mehboob Ali escaped from custody.
However, the team of cops and foresters surrounded Mehboob Ali when he was moving clandestinely in Sim’s Park area in Coonoor on Monday afternoon.
When they zeroed in on him, he again gave them the slip. But people in the area caught him and handed the accused to the cops. Both Mehboob Ali and Noor Kasim were then formally arrested and produced at the judicial magistrate’s court here. Arrangements are being made to shift them to Assam.
