Hyderabad police verify 460 gun licences after deer poaching cases

Hyderabad police have launched a citywide verification of gun licences after a series of alleged deer-hunting cases involving city residents in Telangana and Karnataka. Charminar Zone Deputy Commissioner of Police Kiran Khare said around 460 licences were issued in the zone and that police were vetting holders amid complaints of weapons being used for hunting, celebratory firing and recreational activities at farmhouses.

In the latest case on 20 October, Malakpet police arrested three residents of Teegalguda, Syed Hussain, 47, Syed Omer, 49, and Mohammed Hameed, 40, for allegedly hunting deer in the Chimmanchod forest area of Karnataka’s Kalaburagi district. A licensed.30-06 sporting rifle fitted with a night-vision telescope, eight live rounds and 12 used cartridges were seized. Investigators are examining mobile phone evidence.

The verification follows other incidents including a case on May 5 when six persons were arrested for hunting wildlife near Shadnagar and Makthal, and a September 28 case where nine persons were held with 13 kg of suspected blackbuck meat. The police are examining whether licensed firearms are being used in violation of conditions, and further action will depend on verification findings.