The Forest Department on Thursday apprehended three persons on charges of making and placing country-made explosive, which a cow that belonging to a farmer near Mettupalayam chewed accidentally and died after its mouth was blown off earlier this month.
The accused have been identified as M. Gunasekaran (22) from Dasampalayam, near Thekkampatti, and V. Sreekanth (22) and N. Krishnan (64) from Kondaiyoor.
The department is on the lookout for a fourth accused K. Prakash (30) from Tank Medu on Annur Road near Mettupalayam. The four had placed the explosive to hunt wild animals.
It was on August 12, a cow that belonged to Muhammed Jafar Ali from Chengal Padugai, near Kallar, accidentally chewed a country-made explosive, locally called ‘avittukai’, when the farmer had left it in a land for grazing.
The cow’s mouth was blown off by the explosive which was laid as bait to hunt wild boar. The cow died five days later.
The department had registered a case under provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act. The farmer had lodged a complaint with the Mettupalayam police.
