4 held for illegal capture of turtle for ritual feast

Belthangady (DK dist): Aspart of the ongoing wildlife protection operation, Police and forest officials in Dakshina Kannada district have arrested four men for allegedly capturing protected turtles from a local river to prepare a ritual meal.

The operation followed specific intelligence that turtles were being illegally hunted in the Somavati river near Belthangady town. Acting swiftly, a police team led by Sub-Inspector Anand M conducted a raid on Friday afternoon and detained four suspects while they were allegedly attempting to process the animals. The turtles were seized and later handed over to the forest department for legal action.

Officials from the Belthangady Police Station said the accused had travelled to attend a family death anniversary ceremony and intended to cook turtle meat believed to be a preferred dish of a deceased relative. The forest department subsequently registered a case under the Wildlife Protection Actand initiated formal proceedings.

Authorities said the accused were questioned and later released on notice to appear before court, as permitted under procedure. Wildlife officers reiterated that turtles are protected species and hunting them is a punishable offence.

The joint operation underscores increasing coordination between police and forest authorities to curb wildlife crimes. Officials urged the public to respect conservation laws and report illegal hunting, noting that ritual or cultural motivations do not exempt violations.

Investigations are continuing to determine whether similar incidentshave occurred in the area.