Forest officials attached to Agumbe wildlife range under Someshwara wildlife sanctuary in Udupi district have arrested two persons on the charge of tresspassing into the sanctuary in Amasebailu village with a modified pellet gun with them, on Friday night.
The two, Nataraj Naik (35) and Anand Shetty (60), have been booked under various sections of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. A court in Kundapur in Udupi district has remanded them to judicial custody.
Sources said that the two were seen entering the jurisdiction of the sanctuary at about 10 p.m. with torches fixed to their heads on Friday. It is suspected that they entered the sanctuary for hunting. Earlier, the officials had once warned Naik for entering the forests without permission to collect forest resources.
The officials are inquiring into why they entered the forest with the gun.
The sources said that Naik earlier used to assist the Forest Department in drawing the fire line, but due to his suspicious act like engaging in wildlife hunting, the department had stopped hiring his services some years ago. But officials of the Agumbe wildlife range kept a vigil on his activities.
