Minor among two held for peacock poaching in Mandsaur village

Ujjain: Two persons, including a juvenile, were arrested for allegedly hunting a peacock at a village in Mandsaur district. Villagers caught the accused and handed them over to the police before the forest department took them into custody.The incident took place in Betikhedi village under Nahargarh police station limits. Acting on information from the police, a forest department team reached the spot and recovered a dead peacock along with a slingshot allegedly used in the hunt.Divisional forest officer (DFO) Sanjay Raikher said that a forest offence case was registered against Prakash Banchhada, 39, a resident of Chhoti Betikhedi village and a juvenile under relevant provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.The accused were produced before a judicial magistrate, who remanded Prakash to Mandsaur district jail and sent the juvenile to a correctional home in Ratlam till June 13. Further investigation in the case is underway.Raikher said the Indian peafowl, commonly known as the peacock, is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act and enjoys the highest level of legal protection. Illegal hunting or offences involving the species can attract imprisonment ranging from three to seven years along with a minimum fine of Rs 25,000.