Two brothers arrested for allegedly shooting dead cheetah in Madhya Pradesh
The Special Task Force recovered a firearm used to shoot a 19-month-old male cheetah near Nitanwas village.
The Madhya Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has arrested two brothers, Bhagwan Singh and Pritam Singh, for allegedly shooting a 19-month-old male cheetah. According to The Indian Express, the men, who are residents of Morena district, were hunting in forests near Nitanwas village in Sheopur district when the animal, identified as KNG-22, was hit by gun pellets.
Bhagwan Singh was arrested on October 31, and his interrogation led to the arrest of his brother, Pritam Singh. The STF stated that Bhagwan Singh told investigators the cheetah was hit by a licensed double-barrelled country firearm before the pair fled. Investigators later recovered the weapon from a forest area in Morena district.
The male cheetah, a cub born to Nirva, was found injured by a monitoring team on October 25 in the Morena territorial forest division. After being moved to Kuno and then to Jabalpur for medical care, the animal died on October 27. Surgeons recovered five pellets from the body, and a CT scan indicated damage to the animal's nervous, musculoskeletal, and internal systems.
The STF said its investigation has not found evidence connecting the killing to organised wildlife crime or illegal trade. A case has been registered against the brothers under the Wildlife Protection Act, and they are scheduled to be produced before a court in Vijaypur on November 2.
The Madhya Pradesh government formed a four-member task force on October 27 to investigate the incident. Additionally, a three-member team from the National Tiger Conservation Authority and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau was sent by the Union Environment Ministry to examine the circumstances and security for cheetahs outside protected areas.