Three persons, who were found roaming with an air gun for rabbit hunting in the forest area near Chennimalai, were fined a total of ₹54,000 on Wednesday.

Staff at the Erode Forest Division received a tip-off that some individuals were carrying a weapon with the intention of hunting rabbits in the Vaipadi Puliyampalayam forest area. A forest patrol team conducted a search and apprehended three individuals. They were identified as Nataraj (25), Vadivel (32), and Prakash (35), all residents of Magudanchavadi in Salem district. During questioning, they confessed to having come for rabbit hunting.

All three were produced before the Erode District Forest Officer, who imposed a fine of ₹18,000 on each of them, amounting to a total of ₹54,000. Their air gun was also confiscated.