Cooch Behar: 3 held for bat hunting

Cooch Behar: The Forest department, in coordination with local police, have arrested three individuals for illegally hunting bats in the historic Kaviraj Garden, located in Ward 8 of Cooch Behar Town. The arrests occurred early Sunday morning.

The suspects, identified as Deva Murmu, Ajay Murmu and Soumyajit Murmu, were apprehended following a joint operation by the Forest department and the Cooch Behar Kotwali Police. The suspects were caught after CCTV footage revealed their activities in the garden, which is home to numerous bat colonies and contains valuable herbal plants dating back to the royal era. Following the identification from the footage, the accused were located in the Thin Khawa area under Pundibari Police Station and taken into custody. The three men reside in the Thin Khawa area.

Bijan Kumar Nath, ADFO of the Cooch Behar Forest Division, confirmed the arrests, stating: “The Forest department, with assistance from Kotwali Police, arrested the three youths. A case has been filed against them under the Wildlife Protection Act. They are scheduled to be produced in court on Monday.”