The Chhattisgarh Forest Department on Monday arrested three poachers who were sent to 14 days judicial remand for killing and mutilating a bear in the Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve.
Gariaband Divisional Forest Officer Mayank Agrawal identified them as Chaitram, Mohan and Pyarelal, all aged 50.
The first two are from Amdi village and the third resides in Jaitpuri village, he said.
A carcass of a bear, aged around one-and-a-half to two years, was found on Sunday night, in Amdi village in Joba forest range, the officer said.
The forest officials along with a dog squad zeroed in on two houses in Amdi and Jaitpuri villages. The suspects who confessed their involvement in the crime, the officer said.
The men said they hit the bear on its head, killing it instantly. They then cut its paws, teeth and private parts to do black magic, the official said.
The officials recovered not only three nails of the bear but an axe as well as the horn and skin of spotted deer from them.
A court sent them to 14 days judicial custody for further investigation.