The arrest and subsequent judicial remand of Chaitu Parhaiya by the Betla forest ranger Nathuni Singh and his team of forest guards and trackers, failed to crack the killing of three deers at a rescue centre of the reserved sanctuary. The wild animals were axed to death on October 23 last year at the rescue centre. The carcasses with hides intact had recovered later.
While an alleged killer was nabbed before, on January 14 another man in his early thirties identified as Chaitu Parihaiya was caught by the ranger Nathuni Singh and his team. Chaitu hails from a village under Barwadiah block. DFO Core Palamu Tiger Reserve Premjit Anand has confirmed the arrest and judicial remand of Chaitu Parhaiya. Anand said Chaitu’s name had figured in the killing of the three deers. The accused killer caught earlier had given his name and since then the PTR forest guards and the trackers were after Chaitu.
About the three deers, DFO Core said the animals were from Garhwa district and had been recovered from the home of a powerful politician family there. The killing had triggered a wild speculation than that these deers were killed to wipe out the physical evidence as rearing/keeping any wildlife is an offence under the Wildlife Protection Act.
However, the speculation remained as till date the PTR officials have no clue as to why the deers were killed. Anand conceded, "We arrested two alleged killers of the deers. But we do not know the motive behind the killing. None of the two arrested could give us any clue as to why they killed or whether the killing was done at the behest of any one." Chaitu Parhaiyya was arrested with the axe inside the national park.