Hyderabad: A man named Mohd Kaleemuddin or Saleem, aged 54, was arrested by the East Zone team of the Commissioner’s Taskforce for illegally possessing Blackbuck deer horns. These horns are from a species protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Kaleemuddin, who lived in Shaheen Nagar, Hyderabad, originally came from Sadasivapet in the Sangareddy district. He worked as a mason and ran a paan shop with his family in Hyderabad. Due to low income, he often traveled between the two cities for work. While demolishing a site in Sadasivapet, he found the Blackbuck horns, which he secretly brought to Hyderabad.
Initially, he ground small portions of the horns into powder to sell as a remedy for bone injuries and inflammation. Later, he tried to sell the entire horns openly. Authorities caught him near Abbass Ground, Chandrayangutta, with the horns hidden in a black cover. He could not provide any legal documents for possessing them, leading to his detention.
The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 prohibits the possession, trade, or sale of Blackbuck parts, as the species is endangered and highly protected across India. Violating these laws can result in severe penalties.
After the arrest, both Kaleemuddin and the horns were handed over to M. Srinivas Goud, the Forest Section Officer for Hyderabad East Range, for further action. This incident highlights the ongoing issues in enforcing wildlife protection and the importance of public awareness to fight illegal wildlife trade.
