Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh (The Hawk): At a private guest house in the Chhatnag area of Prayagraj, stray dogs killed 21 spotted deer and one chinkara by mauling them.
The incident occurred earlier this week, but the officials kept it under wraps for two days, examined the dead deer, and only made a statement once the media knew of it.
The private company responsible for caring for the deer has been accused of violating the Wildlife Protection Act.
On the 70-acre guest home on the banks of the Ganga, deer were being raised.
According to reports, Universal Cable Company Limited received authorization to raise deer on the private land in 1988. The company was granted full authority to take care of the deer.
The forest department officials have detained three people, including the security guard and the deer keeper, for questioning. A thorough investigation has also been ordered.
Investigations also turned up two tiny drain hole locations on the campus that provided the stray canines with an appropriate entrance. The possibility that the dogs may have scaled the border wall was also considered.
Three individuals, including security officer Awadhesh Kumar, deer keeper Lal Chandra Yadav, and security guard Jung Bahadur, have been detained by the forest department for questioning, according to Prayagraj district forest officer Mahaveer Kaujalgi.
The forest department has filed a lawsuit under section 9 of the Wildlife Protection Act against four people, including the management of the guest house, the security officer, the deer keeper, and a security guard employed by a private company.
According to Kaujalgi, a notification has also been delivered to the Universal Cable Company Ltd. officials, who were given full authority to take care of the deer.
"We are examining the security measures in place on and around the campus, as well as the region's access to the CCTV network. The district police authority and the forest department are working together on the investigation, "DFO stated.
(Inputs from Agencies)