Kencha

BANGALORE: Even after the death of brigand Veerappan, a few members of his erstwhile gang are still operating in M.M. Hills and surrounding jungles in Kollegal taluk of Chamarajnagar district.

In the last one month, at least three male elephants were shot dead in Ponnachi Reserve Forest area in M.M. Hills.

Alarmed by the death of the elephants, the staff of CID Forest Cell and Forest Department camped in M.M. Hills for over a fortnight and arrested seven people belonging to two gangs on charges of killing the elephants. The police have seized from them a pair of tusks and a muzzleloader.

Inspector-General of Police (Forest Cell) K.S.N. Chikkerur told The Hindu here on Tuesday that one of the arrested, Kencha (45), was a member of the Veerappan gang.

The mobile squad of the CID Forest Cell arrested Kencha at his house at Bidarahalli on Sunday and seized a pair of tusks, measuring 12.5 and 16 inches.

Kencha had not only poached several elephants but had taken part in crimes committed by the brigand. He was reportedly a member of the Veerappan gang that had attacked a police party in the nineties, Mr. Chikkerur said.

The tusks, the police have now recovered, were of an elephant Kencha's gang had shot dead in Doddane forests in M.M. Hills police station limits in July 2005. Kencha's son Shivanna and his accomplice Sebastian alias Boota (45) of Aladamaradadoddi were arrested a few days ago. Kencha was responsible for the murder of another poacher, Balaraju of Martalli, 20 years ago. His gang mainly operates in Doddane, Bidarahalli and Oderahalli forests, he said.

Another gang led by Bellulli Madaiah had been poaching elephants in Astur area in the Cauvery valley on the Tamil Nadu border. Bellulli Madaiah and his accomplices Suntri Madappa (45) and Karana, alias Anthony Swamy (45), all residents of Ramegowdanahalli near Ponnachi and Mahadeva, alias Sunder Raj of Biligundlu in Tamil Nadu were arrested recently.

During interrogation it came to light that the gang had shot dead a an elephant at Jiya Gowdana Varathihalli in Ponnachi forests in December last and killed two more tuskers in Doddakonanare and Munchkal forest in January, Mr. Chikkerur said. The police are on the lookout for Kinari, alias Basamma of Ramegowdanahalli who had allegedly assisted the gang. The accused had shot dead another elephant at Doddane and removed its tusks.

A Forest Cell team was camping at Kowdalli to trace the tusks. The gang was suspected to have poached an elephant in Yedeyaralli forest in Ramapura police station limits in July 2005, the IGP said.

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