Raigarh (Chhattisgarh), April 19, 2026 — In a shocking and bizarre case of wildlife crime, five villagers in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district have been arrested for butchering and consuming a protected Chital (spotted deer).
The incident, which took place in Delari village under the Raigarh Forest Division, took a grim turn when the villagers—who had initially intervened to “save” the deer from a pack of stray dogs—ended up chopping the animal into pieces and distributing its meat among themselves.
Tragic End for a Thirsty Deer
According to forest department officials, the incident occurred on the afternoon of April 16. Driven by severe heat and thirst, a spotted deer strayed from the adjoining forest area and wandered into Delari village, located approximately 15 kilometers from the city.
As the deer approached a local pond to drink water, it was violently attacked by a pack of stray dogs. Seeing the commotion, several villagers rushed to the spot and managed to chase the dogs away. However, instead of informing the local forest department or arranging medical aid for the severely injured animal, the villagers took a criminal route.
From Rescuers to Poachers
During interrogation, the accused confessed that the deer succumbed to the deep bite wounds inflicted by the dogs shortly after the rescue. However, rather than reporting the death of the protected wildlife species, the villagers decided to butcher the carcass right next to the pond.
They chopped up the deer, divided the meat equally among themselves, and took it home to cook.
Forest Department Raids and Arrests
The crime came to light when local informants tipped off the Raigarh Forest Department about a clandestine wildlife meat feast happening in the village.
Acting swiftly, a dedicated forest department team raided the houses of the suspects. During the search operations, officials recovered cooked deer meat (sabji) from their kitchens. Following the seizure, five individuals were taken into custody and interrogated, during which they confessed to their crime.
The arrested villagers have been identified as:
Atmaram Rathia
Mayaram Rathia
Haricharan Sao
Tarun Sao
Motilal Agariya
All five accused have been officially booked for violating the strict Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. The forest department has registered a case against them under Sections 39, 50, and 51 of the Act. The accused were subsequently presented before a local court, which remanded them to judicial custody, sending them straight to jail.
