Murder of monkeys: Five arrested

Hassan: The forest department and police department have jointly conducted a joint operation in the Hassan district in Belur taluk recently.

The captive couple was hired to catch monkeys. Addressing a press conference, DCR Girish said that the police had arrested Ramu Yashoda, a resident of Banavar, for the purpose of catching monkeys. Manja, Rudresh and Ramanuja Iyengar of Ugane village have been arrested.

The villagers, led by Ramanuja Iyengar, contacted Ramu and Yashoda and requested them to capture the monkeys and leave the forest.

The accused had prepared a cage for catching the monkeys, sacked them in sackcloth and threw them into Chaudanahalli. Some of these were missed. 30 monkeys were killed in the incident.

“A detailed report will be submitted shortly on the case of the three-member committee in the case of SO Srinivasa Gowda, DFO Basanaraja, DC,”

According to preliminary reports, apes have died from suffocation. At the same time, the district is planning a new scheme to avoid the monkeys.

Samples of monkeys have been sent to the oncology laboratory to determine the cause of death. DFO Basavaraj said the accused have been charged under the Wildlife Protection Act. Villagers have acknowledged that the catch has paid for catching more than 50 monkeys.

The villagers were trying to catch the monkeys as they were damaging coconut and nut crops in nearby and neighboring villages.