Pune: Forest Department Busts Wildlife Poaching in Maval; 52 Kg Meat, Firearms Seized
Pune, 13th May 2025: In a swift and coordinated action, the Forest Department of Pune uncovered a case of illegal wildlife poaching in Tikona village, Maval taluka, resulting in the arrest of a suspect and the seizure of weapons and suspected wild animal meat.
Acting on specific intelligence inputs, forest officials raided a private property known as “Sing Bungalow” early Tuesday morning. During the operation, the team arrested Sukhmit Harmit Singh Bhutaliya (26), a resident of Tikona. From his possession, officials recovered approximately 52 kilograms of suspected wild animal meat, two firearms, live and spent cartridges, and tools commonly used for hunting and skinning.
A forest offence has been registered under Sections 9 and 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The accused is expected to be produced before the Hon’ble Court following due legal procedure.
The high-risk operation was conducted under the direction of Tushar Chavan, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Pune, and led by Mangesh Tate, Assistant Conservator of Forests. The core field team included Range Forest Officer Prakash Shinde (Vadgaon), Forester Seema Palodkar (Devle), Forester Ganesh Mhetre (Khandala), Forest Guard Sandeep Arun (Chavsar), and Forest Guard Shelke (Devle).
Speaking on the operation, Tushar Chavan said, “This raid was executed with utmost secrecy and speed to ensure the suspect could not evade action. Wildlife poaching is a serious crime, and we remain committed to protecting our biodiversity. A sample of the seized meat has been sent to the Wildlife Research Centre in Gorewada, Nagpur, for forensic analysis and species identification. The firearms and ammunition will also be examined in coordination with the police to verify licensing and legal ownership.”
He further emphasized the importance of community involvement in protecting wildlife: “We appeal to citizens to remain vigilant and report any illegal activities related to hunting or wildlife trade. Conservation is a collective duty, and timely information from the public can make a critical difference.”
The Forest Department has reiterated its zero-tolerance policy toward wildlife crimes and affirmed that more such intelligence-driven operations will be carried out in the region.
