Freezer Sits At Rajasthan Protest Against Chinkara Killings. What's Inside

At a protest in Rajasthan's Barmer to protest the killing of two chinkara, a deep freezer catches the eye. Protesters say they have preserved the carcasses of two deer found in a sack for use in an investigation. Chinkara or gazelle is considered sacred in these parts of Rajasthan and the local community has been making efforts to prevent their killings.

The carcasses were found late on Friday and since then, members of the Bishnoi community and animal rights activists have been sitting in protest. Police and the forest department have detained 10 suspects and questioned them, but there have been no arrests. This has irked the locals, who have been demanding immediate arrests in the case. The protesters have now given a three-day ultimatum to the authorities to make headway in the case, failing which the protest would be intensified and roads blocked.

A preliminary investigation has revealed that the chinkaras were killed early on Saturday, but the killers panicked and left the carcasses under a bridge. Gazelles are primarily poached for meat, hides, and horns.

"More gazelles have been killed, but the hunters could not take these with them. The forest department is saying they need time. They do nothing. There are no arrangements for the treatment of animals," a protester said. "We demand that the criminals be arrested at the earliest. We will not stop this protest till the arrests are made."

Local authorities said they are making every effort to catch the culprits. They said they are scanning footage of CCTV cameras in the area to identify the suspects.

Visuals from the protest site show the agitators have brought in supplies and are cooking food there, indicating that they plan to stay put. The agitators are also playing music at the protest site.