'Owl Shastra': Karnataka has a new, bizarre property scam

The CID forest cell of  Karnataka arrested five persons for poaching and selling barn owls. The police say the owl is released in properties to create an 'inauspicious' impression and lower the price.  A single barn owl was priced Rs 1.5 lakh by smugglers.

With the arrest of smugglers of a barn owl by the Central Investigative Department, Forest Wing on Monday morning, a new trick has come to light. 

Police say people in the real estate sector are releasing barn owls inside selected properties. Buyers who spot the owl sometimes consider the sight an ill omen and refuse to buy the property. In time, this lowers the price of the property, and the same is picked up for a low price by those who released the owl.

Balram Gowda, Deputy Superintendent of Police, CID Forest cell, told Asianet Newsable that the main accused, Manmohan, is a native of Rajasthan and an expert on catching barn owls. 

"During the preliminary investigation, it has come to notice that being a native of Rajasthan, Manmohan knew about the mentality of the Marwadi community and a few others who believe in such omens. 

Such owners are targeted to fool and then devalue their property. The owl is released in houses in posh areas or places with a good commercial value within these communities," said Gowda. Gowda added that realtors who know about this development would later try and influence owners to dispose of the property cheaply.

Along with Manmohan, Salman, Basit, Wahid and Mudassir, who work as daily wage earners in Cottenpet, helped in catching the owl from the Hunsur forest area. 

The accused persons watch the movement of owls in this region.  After noticing one of owl regularly hiding in a tree bark, the accused person laid a trap and caught it. The bird was put in a cage and brought to Bengaluru to sell it to realtors - especially those belonging to Marwadi communities. 

"We had information about the trade of owls and one among our team posed as a buyer of such owls. It took a week to take the smugglers into confidence and nab them red handed from a lodge near Majestic. The smugglers have quoted Rs 1.5 lakh," Gowda said.

The accused persons were handed over to Cottenpet police, and subsequently, cases under wild life protection act of 1972  have been booked. The rescued barn owl will be sent to Bannerghatta rescue and rehabilitation centre for few days before its release.