5 K'pada villagers arrested in forest staff assault case

The Kendrapada Sadar police on Saturday arrested five persons in connection with the attack on four forest personnel, including the local Forest Ranger, during search of a wild boar, which had killed a youth and injured six others, at Saharpur village on February 18. The attackers had also forcibly taken away nets and firecrackers from the forest officials besides damaging their two vehicles.

According to Sadar PS IIC Biranchi Bag, a forest team along with members of the Forest Protection Squad had gone to the village under Chankoda gram panchayat to nab the wild boar, which was hiding near a bush, with nets, firecrackers. They had also sought help of locals. When they were in search of the boar, the animal came out from the bush suddenly and attacked one Khirod Mohanty (27), a villager. Irate over this, locals soon assaulted the forest personnel with lathis and stones while accusing them of neglect and unskilled. In the attack, four forest personnel, including the Ranger, sustained injuries.

Even, the irate mob punctured their official jeep and damaged a private vehicle hired by the team. “All the arrested persons were on Saturday produced before the SDJM Court. They have been remanded into jail custody after their bail pleas were rejected,” said Bag.