Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 22 March 2024
In a proactive move, the team at PS Mayabunder swiftly acted upon credible information regarding the illicit sale of venison meat at a residence in Webi village, Mayabunder. Under the leadership of SI Dinesh Meena, and SI (IRBn) Neethi J Vetriarsan, along with PCs B. Dilleshwar Rao, K Balraju, and S. Tamil Selvi, a raiding team was promptly formed.
The operation led the team to the premises of Ms. Sumanti Toppo, wife of Thomas Uraon, in Webi, Mayabunder. Upon conducting a thorough search, the team unearthed illegal wildlife products, including 3 kgs of dry meat, suspected to be venison, 1 deer head, 12 packets of venison meat weighing approximately 11.5 kgs, and 1 air gun.
During interrogation, Ms. Sumanti Toppo confessed to the possession of the venison meat. The discovery was deemed a blatant violation of Section 50 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, leading to the immediate seizure of all items by Inspector P.K Abdul Arif, SHO PS Mayabunder.
The accused was apprehended, and the seized items were promptly reported to the Range Officer, Mayabunder. Both the confiscated goods and the apprehended individual were subsequently handed over to forest officials for further legal proceedings.
The entire operation was conducted under the supervision of Mr. Brij Mohan Meena, DANIPS, SDPO, Diglipur, with the overall direction and supervision of Ms. Geetanjali Khandelwal, IPS, Superintendent of Police, North & Middle Andaman District.
In a call to the public, authorities urged individuals to share any credible information related to criminal activities with their nearest Police Station or via phone numbers 100, 112, and 03192-273344. Informers’ identities will be kept confidential, and they may also receive suitable rewards for their cooperation.