After evading the law for more than five years, poacher Govinda was arrested by Karnataka Forest Department officials at Mysuru railway station in connection with the high-profile tiger killing case of October 2025, marking a major breakthrough in the investigation.
Govinda — also known as “Mini Veerappan — is the main accused in the killing of a tiger inside the Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary in Chamarajanagar district in 2025. Five other accused — Pachamalle, Siddu, Sampu, Chandu, and Abhishek — were arrested, and later granted bail by the Kollegal JMFC court.
The crime came to light in October 2025 near the Pachedoddi village in the Hanur taluk, triggering outrage among conservationists and wildlife officials. Investigators said the tiger was poisoned using carbofuran, a highly toxic and banned pesticide. After the animal died, the carcass was allegedly chopped into three pieces and dumped at separate locations inside the forest to destroy evidence.
The police said the tiger killing was retaliatory, as the animal had allegedly killed cattle.
Officials said Govinda was the key figure coordinating the poaching operation, prompting intensified efforts to trace him.
Acting on fresh intelligence, forest teams tracked his movements and intercepted him at the Mysuru railway station while he was travelling by train.
The officers said Govinda will be produced before the court, with further investigations underway to establish his role in other wildlife crimes and to identify additional members of the poaching network.
Officials said Govinda earned the moniker “Mini Veerappan” because of his repeated involvement in wildlife offences and his links to organised forest crime networks operating in the region.
The tiger’s killing had raised serious concerns about wildlife safety in the MM Hills forest zone, with authorities calling it an attack on conservation efforts rather than an isolated poaching incident.
Forest officials described the case as one of the most challenging in recent years due to the extreme brutality involved and Govinda’s long history of evading arrest. He frequently shifted between forest regions in Chamarajanagar and Mysuru districts, making tracking difficult.
Speaking to The Indian Express, an official said Govinda was last arrested in 2022 in connection with a deer poaching case. Following that, he remained on the run.
Authorities said Govinda attempted to evade capture three times since the tiger poaching case.
“On one occasion, we moved in after learning he planned to take shelter near Nall Road close to the Tamil Nadu border on October 25 last year. However, Govinda played a trick. He sent two people on a bike at high speed toward our team, causing a collision with an official vehicle,” the officer said.
“Initially, we thought one of them was him due to a resemblance, but after they were admitted to the hospital, it was confirmed that Govinda was not among them. He then escaped, travelling across Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, frequently switching off his phones, and occasionally using others’ phones to avoid detection,” the officer added.
In Mysuru, the police registered a dacoity case against him and received information that he would appear in court in connection with it. However, he escaped, and was finally apprehended at the railway station.
“He was a rowdy sheeter in Bengaluru, and has multiple cases registered against him. In those cases, we are trying to track dates, hearing schedules, and monitor him accordingly,” an officer said.
Curated by Shiv Shakti Mishra
