Many a star-struck fan now holds the father-son team in dread, simply because they are a grim reminder to their own misdemeanours where lesser creatures on the evolutionary scale are concerned.

Industrialists in this town, for instance, have been turning in pets in captivity to the Forest Department in large numbers ever since news of the Khans' fate became known.

``These people are sanctifying themselves by giving back these animals to the Forest Department,'' said a forest official here.

The forest officials here have collected at least three deer and four peacocks -- all covered under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act -- over the last two days. The depositors include the City's prominent merchants and industrialists.

A well-known city architectinformed a local newspaper about finding a deer which he said was about five years old. He also told the newspaper he had informed the forest officials about it.

When the foresters asked him where he found the deer, the architect said it was found sitting in their car during a recent visit to their farm in the vicinity of Miraj.

According to the architect, the deer, which he found four or five days ago, has acquired a taste for puran polis, bananas and milk. Forest officials and environmental activists have refused to buy the argument, saying it was impossible for the animal to get accustomed to eating puran polis and accepting cow's milk within barely four days.

A Rajwada resident has also presented forest officials with a deer. His version is that it was incapacitated and rescued by him.

Forest officials have also picked up a deer and three peacocks at a farm house owned by a local industrialist recently, sources said.

In the course of enquiries, the industrialist told forestofficials that he did not own a farmhouse, and hence, knew nothing about the animals. He later altered his version saying he did own the farmhouse, but had rented it out.

Based on the details furnished by him, forest officials tracked down the lessee, only to determine that he had never used the farmhouse and was unaware of the goings-on.

Forest Department officials expect many more persons to come forward with unauthorised pets in the next few days.

No official information could be gathered on the future course of action with regard to the unusual presents to the Forest Department. Yet, a section of local environmentalists felt action should be initiated against such illegal holdings.

Although officials were not willing to go on record, it is believed that many merchants and small-scale industrialists in this erstwhile princely town and its vicinity have been keeping wild animals, especially varieties of deer.

Many, like D M Mohite, who was instrumental in setting up the Sagaeshwar black bucksanctuary, have demanded stringent action against those involved. ``These rich people catch and kill the animals for the sake of entertainment. They should have learnt a lesson from the Salman Khan case,'' he added.