As many as six persons of a village including the mastermind in the killing of a tusker a week ago were arrested on Thursday in Sundargarh district.
Officials of Banki forest range under Rourkela Forest Division had seized the carcass of the tusker aged about 14 years, with a wound on its right thigh near a paddy field on September 10 at Faudatola village.
The forest officials suspected that some locals might have killed the tusker by a weapon like spear. They had lodged an FIR with Chandiposh police station in connection with the elephant death. Forest officials and Chandiposh police had started a joint inquiry.
Addressing a Press meet on Thursday afternoon, Rourkela Divisional Forest Officer Jashabanta Sethi informed about arrest of six persons of Faudatola village for killing the tusker. Sethi revealed that during investigation, it came to the fore that Karma Tigga, who is the owner of the paddy field, where the carcass was seized, is the mastermind in the case.
The other five arrestees were identified as Naga Tigga(39), Birsha Oram(41), Ajay Oram(28), Salan Oram(30) and Bishu Oram(32).