File photo of former minister SS Mallikarjuna (front)
In a joint operation, the CCB, along with the Forest Department, raided former minister SS Mallikarjuna’s farmhouse in Davanagere and found seven deer, 10 black bucks, seven wild boars, three mongoose and two jackals illegally kept.
Officials have registered a case against the manager and an employee under various sections of the Wildlife Act and taken the animals for medical examination, after which they will be released into the wild, an official said.
The incident came to light after the CCB arrested Senthil on December 18 following a wildlife poaching case registered in Hebbal, who confessed that he had killed the deer from his farmhouse in Davanagere.
Based on his confession, a police team accompanied him to recover the body for further investigation and found the mini zoo and alerted the forest officials.
A police officer said that the manager of the farmhouse claimed that they had permission to keep some wild animals, which is being probed.
During interrogation, it was found that wild animals were being bought from tribals and hunters and kept in the farm. While jackals have been kept as a pet for goodwill, deer are suspected to be reared for meat.