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Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad
Four persons -- believed to be activists of the ruling Telugu Desam Party -- have been booked by wildlife officials for feasting on the meat of peacocks, India's national bird and an endangered species, in a village in Andhra Pradesh on August 21.
The incident occurred in Inagandla village in Kurnool district, about 220 km south of Hyderabad.
The forest range officer, Adoni, booked a case against the four accused persons under section 50 of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) T Ramakrishna told rediff.com on Thursday afternoon that "the offence occurred on August 21. Four peacocks were trapped and killed on the village outskirts".
Ramakrishna said, "The village elders have cooperated with our officials. They admitted to the fact that four peacocks were killed by the accused. They also confirmed that the feathers of the killed birds were burnt by the accused to destroy evidence."
It is believed that the accused were TDP functionaries who organised a feast and served the peacock meat as part of victory celebrations in connection with the gram panchayat elections held on August 20. The accused have been identified as Boya Timmappa, Boya Peddaiah, Boya Gokari and Tummela Timappa.
Incidentally, this is the fourth such incident involving killing of wild animals and endangered birds for feasting by Telugu Desam functionaries. Local TDP leaders had organised a grand feast for Excise Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on October 13, 1998, in his home constituency Sathupalli. At that feast, attended by four other state ministers, venison of peacock, sambar, spotted deer, wild boar and hare was served.
A TDP leader hosted another feast at Kolletikota village in Kolleru wildlife sanctuary in Krishna district on March 21, 1999, in which the meat of rare and endangered birds such as coots, whistling teals, spotted ducks, little cormorants, pintail ducks and common teals was served. Four TDP functionaries were booked under Wildlife Protection Act.
In yet another incident, five TDP local activists were booked for organising a feast with peacock meat at Inolu village near Achampet in Mahbubnagar district on June 28, 1999.
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