Four days back, a male tusker was found dead in the Barabanka reserve forest under Deobandh section in Ghatgaon forest range.
According to local villagers, the elephant was beheaded by unknown miscreants (probably poachers) who killed the wild mammal for its tusks and abandoned the body in the forest itself, which was later discovered by forest officials.
The local forest officials buried the dead elephant immediately before any media could reach the place. According to the forest official records, it was a natural death of a female elephant.
But if the allegation of the local eyewitnesses is true, then the matter needs high level inquiry and action needs to be taken against culprits. Suspicion on elephant killing arises from many other incidents in Keonjhar district.
Only a year back, a male elephant was shot dead by unknown poachers near Palaspanga in Sadar range and the forest officials had immediately buried the body without post mortem to avoid unwanted investigation into the matter.
In another incident in April last, a female elephant was killed by a JCB machine operator during road construction and was buried in Joda block.
The forest officials had to recover the body from the spot only a week after the incident took place. The matter was closed with suspension of two local forest employees and arrest of two locals.