Another Deer Killed In Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar; Locals Protest

Tension prevailed in the Rohi area of Padampura near Suratgarh in Sri Ganganagar district after unknown poachers shot dead a deer in the area. As the team of wildlife officials led by Suratgarh Ranger Pawan Bishnoi rushed to the spot to take the body into custody for post-mortem, locals stopped them and demanded that the post-mortem be conducted on the spot. The locals also accused the Forest Ranger of being drunk on duty which the latter outrightly denied.

Sri Ganganagar (Rajasthan): Unknown poachers killed a deer in Suratgarh area of Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan on Thursday night triggering a protest by the locals.

The incident came to light in the Rohi area of Padampura near Suratgarh in the district.

Locals said that the deer was found dead in a pool of blood after being shot by unknown hunters. After being informed by the locals, a team of wildlife officials led by Suratgarh forest ranger Pawan Bishnoi rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.

According to District President of Wildlife Protection Mukesh Suthar, Suratgarh forest ranger Pawan Bishnoi, who reached the spot, was trying to take the body of the deer with him along with his team, but was stopped by the villagers and wildlife lovers. They demanded that the post-mortem of the body be done on the spot leading to a tense situation.

Forest Ranger Accused Of Being Drunk While On Duty

Suthar said that the villagers accused the forest ranger of being drunk, due to which the situation became more tense. Due to the protest of the villagers, the forest team could not take the body of the deer and had to return from there when the situation worsened.

Forest Officer Rejects Allegations

Forest ranger Pawan Bishnoi outrightly rejected the allegations of the villagers and said that he had not consumed alcohol. In his defense, he immediately went to the police station and offered to undergo a medical examination. The police later took him to the state hospital in Suratgarh, where he was medically examined. Pawan Bishnoi also claimed that the villagers misbehaved with him, beat him up and tore his uniform.

District President of Wildlife Protection Mukesh Suthar said that incidents of deer hunting have been increasing continuously in this area for a long time, but no concrete steps are being taken by the administration.

After Thursday's incident, local villagers and wildlife lovers have been sitting on a dharna at the spot and they are demanding that the post-mortem of the deer be done at the same place. The dharna continued throughout the night and people are demanding immediate action from the administration. The villagers say that they will not back down until their demands are met.