Meerut: DRI raid unearths 117 kg nilgai meat, 40 guns during raid on Retd Colonel’s house

At least 117 kg nilgai meat, animal skin, ivory and 40 guns have been seized from the house of a retired army officer in Meerut during a 17-hour-long joint raid conducted by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence and the forest department.

A team of DRI officials reached the Civil Lines residence of Colonel (retd) Devindra Kumar on Saturday in the afternoon and the raid continued till 3:30 AM.

Kumar’s son Prashant Bishnoi is a national-level shooter.

A DRI official said the raid was conducted in connection with a disproportionate assets case. 117 kg meat of nilgai, Rs 1 crore in cash, 40 guns, five skulls of deer, horns of sambar deer, antlers of antelope and black buck, animal skin and ivory were seized from a makeshift warehouse in Kumar’s residence.

Chief Conservator of Forests Mukesh Kumar said: “The meat of blue bull was seized from a refrigerator. A sample was taken and it will be sent to laboratory for testing.”

Action will be taken against the retired army officer and Bishnoi under relevant provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 though no case has been registered against them yet, he said.