Over 500 irate villagers from Sasanpeta, Ratapanga and adjoining villages under Mahakalapada police limits on Friday went on a rampage at Gahirmatha forest range office and torched the office, its vehicles and boats, after a 62-year-old man was killed by a wild boar of the Bhitarkanika Park. The mob also attacked the forest officials, including the ranger holding them responsible for the man-animal conflict.
Mahakalapada Police Station IIC Padarbinda Tripathy said on Friday morning, deceased Kiriti Bhusan Mandal, a resident of Ratapanga village, had gone to defecate in the open when a wild boar attacked and mauled him. The boar had strayed from the Bhitarkanika National Park, he informed.
The incident soon triggered tension in the locality as angry villagers gheraoed the Gahirmatha forest range office with the body, protesting the callous attitude by park authority.
They said had there been a solar fencing around the Bhitarkanika Park boundary; a wild boar would not have strayed and killed the old man.
According to Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary ranger Suvendu Behera, several files, computers and other equipment were destroyed after the villagers set them on fire. He pegged the loss of property at over Rs60 lakh.
The IIC said after being informed about the incident, a police team along with Mahakalapada tehsildar rushed to the spot to pacify locals and restore law and order. After the forest department assured them of providing a compensation of Rs2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and the district administration too assured Rs10,000 to the deceased’s family from the Chief Minister Relief Fund, the villagers relented.
The forest department also assured a permanent job to the deceased’s son, now working as a temporary employee in the department. Also, the department agreed to erect a solar fence around the park to avoid further conflicts.
Meanwhile, Gahirmatha forest ranger lodged an FIR with the police concerning the attack on him and staff members besides the torching of the office. Based on the complaint, police have conducted an inquiry but have not arrested anyone as yet. The body was seized and sent for autopsy to the district headquarters hospital at Kendrapara.
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