The elephant poaching case of Tuesday night at Rajanagar of the Athagarh Forest Division was handed over to the Crime Branch (CB) Wildlife unit on Thursday by the Forest Department.
Talking to this paper, Athagarh DFO Sasmita Lenka said her department has arrested the owner Prasanna Dehury of the brinjal field where the carcass of the jumbo had been found. After interrogation, the department has got some relevant information regarding the poachers involved in bombing the elephant.
On Thursday, Dehury was forwarded to court, but the court released him as no charge was framed against him.
As per reports, the department is trying hard to save the staffs who had neglected their duties for which the innocent pachyderm died. As poaching in the Bauda-Banakhandi and Sukasan forests is a regular affair with the knowledge of some unscrupulous forest officials, DFO Lenka seems corroborating with them in this case, the reason of which is best known to her. Locals demand immediate arrest of the culprits who have been regularly poaching wild animals for flesh and other sakes.