Idukki: Forest officials on Saturday arrested two men for hunting a sambar deer, slaughtering it, and cooking its meat in the Kumily forest range. The accused are Pulikkal Jacob alias Biju (54) and Mecheril Robins (55), both residents of Kambhammettu.

Jacob was taken into custody on Saturday morning, following which Robins was also arrested from the Shankaranand area near Puttady.

Forest officials said they received a tip-off about a sambar deer being hunted in the  Kambhammettu section of the Kumily Range. During a search, around three kilograms of raw venison and about two kilograms of cooked meat were seized from Jacob’s house.

Officials also recovered utensils used for cooking and a knife allegedly used to kill the animal.