Tension gripped villages around the Kuldiha Sanctuary after a confrontation between villagers and forest staffs on Thursday night over the arrest of a local youth four days back and preventive measures taken by the latter to check poaching in the sanctuary.
At least six forest officials, one of them seriously, were injured and three of them kept in captivity till they were rescued by police at around 10 pm.
Range Officer laxman Pradhan, Forester Naresh Singh and Watcher Anadi Singh were confined in Hathikholia village. The service revolver of Pradhan snatched away by some angry villagers was yet to be traced.
“While forest officials with the help of police and additional reinforcement force rescued them, the revolver of Pradhan is still missing. But his mobile phone has been recovered,” said DFO HB Udgata.
He said at least six staffs were injured and of them Pradhan was admitted in the Nilgiri Government hospital with severe injuries.
“There is a strong anguish among the staffs. Police should bring the culprits to book as soon as possible as it is affecting their morale. The local Sarpanch is the key accused as he had instigated the tribal villagers to attack forest staffs,” said Udgata.
He said the confrontation is the fallout of an arrest of a local youth, which was made about four days back and the Akhand Shikar preventive measures taken by the Forest Department.
One Hauda Singh of Hathikholia village had been arrested as deer antlers and a country-made gun found in his house during a raid.
Udgata further said the miscreants had set jungle on fire and 150 hectares of land were affected.
Nilgiri SDPO SR Mahapatra said the male members have fled from the village fearing police action.