Mangaluru: : Four persons were booked under the Wildlife Protection Act for allegedly hunting Indian black turtles in a river and preparing the meat for a ritual performed after their grandmother’s death. She had died of age-related illness and was fond of turtle dishes.The incident occurred near the Somavathi River in Belthangady town. Police raided the spot on Saturday while the accused were attempting to cook the meat after illegally hunting four turtles. The accused and four seized turtles were handed over to the Belthangady Range forest department.The department later registered a case under various provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act against Manikantha, 42, Rajendra, 54, Vignesh, 32, and Prashanth, 35.
