Mango farm becomes den for boar meat trade

The farm under question belongs to TDP leader R J Venkatesh

Madanapalle (Chittoor): Ruling TDP leader’s mango gardenhas become a centre of killing wild animals and selling the meat. It was reportedly going on for long time and came to light onlyon Sunday.

TDP leader RJ Venkatesh, who belongs to Aacharlapalli in Nimmanapallemandalhas 30 acres of mango orchid at Gollapalli village. The watchmen at the orchid are accused of killing animals like boar etc and selling the meat in the town regularly.

When the news broke out on Sunday, forest officials and police rushed to the garden and found that the accused might have caught the wild boars through electric fencing. The boars are seen in large numbers in the nearby forest and the accused are hunting them to collect the meat. They sell it in Madanapalle market. The officials found the meat in large scale and opine that the business was going on for long. As the accused have run away, the officers seized two wheelers.

Meanwhile, speaking to The Hans India RJ Venkatesh maintained that he has nothing to do with the activity going on in the farm, as he has leased it out two years ago. “I have no idea of what is going on there. The garden is in the middle of the forest and the watchmen might have tried to erect electric fencing.

In the process one or two wild boars might have dead. It is a crime to kill wild animals and the officials concerned will investigate and take appropriate action,” he commented. Forest range officer V Madhava Rao said that acting on a tip off they inspected the forest area and the nearby mango garden. “There may be other incidents here and there in the forest area. The case is under investigation,” he averred.

V Pradeep Kumar