Sulthan Bathery: A man was taken into custody by the Forest Department on Wednesday for allegedly hunting a wild deer near Mannudi, under the Irulam forest station in the Chethalath range of South Wayanad Forest Division.

The accused, Pradeep, son of Kunnaparambail Madhavan from Vakeri, was nabbed at the spot, while another suspect, Arun — son of Sasi, Vallanad, Choothupara — managed to flee. Officials suspect Arun took the weapon used in the crime.

A team led by Deputy Forest Range Officer K P Abdul Gafeer seized the carcass of the spotted deer and a minivan owned by Arun, believed to have been used to access the forest area. It was suspicious lights inside the forest that alerted the night patrol team, who immediately informed the forest station.

Pradeep was presented before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court-II in Sulthan Bathery and remanded to judicial custody. Efforts are on to trace Arun and recover the firearm.

The special team also included Irulam Section Forest Officer P V Sunderesan and Beat Forest Officers M S Sathyan, Ajeesh P S, Jithin Viswanath, and Shyni C.