CHIKKAMAGALUR: Over 60 spent cartridges have been found by the side of the road linking Vagger and Kannahalli in the Saragodu-Tatkola reserve forest area in Mudigere taluk, raising suspicion.
Many coffee growers and plantation owners in Malnad region possess both licenced and unlicenced weapons to protect themselves from thieves and wild animals. But the discovery of 60 cartridges in the resever forest has given rise to doubts whether animals were hunted.
On receiving information, the Forest Department staff arrived at the spot and took custody of the spent cartridges. They have also launched an investigation and are looking into how so many cartridges were found at one spot, whether they were used somewhere else and dumped here, or used in the reserve forest itself. As per available data, there are about 12,000 licenced firearms in Malnad region and about 6,000 illegal guns.