A Maharashtra man was shot dead by fellow hunters after he was mistaken for a wild boar during hunting. A hunting expedition in Maharashtra’s Palghar district turned disastrous when a group of villagers mistakenly shot one of their own, mistaking him for the animal. The incident occurred on the night of January 28 in the Borsheti forest area near Manor, leading to a police investigation and multiple detentions after a week.
Authorities reported that the group had come into the forest in an attempt to hunt wild boars, a common activity still deemed illegal. Separation occurred during the hunt. A killing spree of mistaken identity then continued as two villagers came under gunfire; one died immediately while the other was left critically injured.
Health update on Maharashtra man who was shot dead after being mistaken for wild boar
Panic and fear gripped the hunting party. Instead of calling the authorities, the villagers covered up the incident by dragging the body of the deceased deep into the thicket and hiding the body. On the other hand, the injured man was taken to hospital; however, there are reports that he eventually died from the wounds. It has been said that his body was even cremated without even notifying the police.
Following a tip-off regarding the incident, police launched an investigation. In search of the body in the forest, the body was recovered but had significantly decomposed. A postmortem was done on the body for confirmation of the cause of death. Six suspected villagers from Palghar are detained and undergoing questioning according to Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Abhijit Dharashivkar.
The authorities are currently trying to ascertain the facts behind the death of the second victim and subsequent cremation. More charges will be added if true. An FIR is being lodged against the perpetrators, and further investigations are going on.
This tragic event is a reminder of the dangers of illegal hunting and the unintended consequences that may result from such activities. As the investigation continues, police are urging residents to report accidents immediately instead of attempting cover-ups that only deepen the tragedy.
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