Athagarh forest Ranger Aisha Akhatari Nisha was suspended by the Regional Chief Conservator of Forest on Monday on charges of suppression of facts on the death report of a tusker and possessing its tusks.
The tusker was allegedly killed by poachers in connivance with some unscrupulous forest officials on August 27 last year.
As per the reports, the tusker was found dead in Subasi reserve forest under Athagarh forest range area which was reported by the concerned forester to the Range Officer. A local veterinary surgeon made autopsy of the dead pachyderm. But keeping the media and public in dark, Ranger Nisha buried the carcass during the same night with the help of a torch light which was against the standard operating procedure.
This apart, Nisha had kept the tusks with her for over 14 months without depositing the same at the division office.
The fact was well known to the then DFO of Athagarh who worked simultaneously at this headquarters but both the officers tried their level best to conceal and destroy the case. Meantime, when the then DFO was transferred from here, allegedly the Ranger tried to deal with some mafia, to dispose of the tusks.
The news came up in local media. Over the news and allegations of the matter, the RCCF conducted an inquiry and recovered the tusks from the possession of Ranger Nisha.