Meja blast hints poachers may be active, forest dept to increase patrolling

Police investigation revealed that local poachers often planted bombs in forests and other areas to catch wild boars. They filled tobacco boxes with explosives and then wrapped them in betel leaves and other eatables. The boxes exploded, injuring the wild boars as soon as they tried to eat the leaves.

PRAYAGRAJ: The bomb explosion that injured two shepherds in Meja Pahadi area of the district on Friday afternoon is ample indication that poachers are active in the forest areas for hunting of wild boars.

SSP Prayagraj Shailesh Kumar Pandey said that questioning of locals revealed that the place where the incident took place was forest area. (Pic for representation)

Wild boars are commonly found in forests and often stray to agricultural fields where they cause damage to crops. At places where wild boars are in abundance, farmers use barbed wire fencing to protect their crops.

Many tribal communities in the rocky areas of trans-Yamuna also consume the meat of wild boars.

Poachers who are from surrounding areas use different techniques to hunt wild boars. They use traps to catch them and use low intensity bombs to injure them.

Police investigation revealed that local poachers often planted such bombs in forests and other areas to catch wild boars. The poachers used tobacco boxes to fill explosives and then wrapped them in betel leaves and other eatables. The tobacco boxes exploded, injuring the wild boars as soon as they tried to eat the leaves.

The poachers waiting nearby then took away the catch.

As wild boars were aggressive animals, it was not easy to catch them easily, locals in Meja said.

It is worth mentioning that Lakhanpal, 40, of Sonbarsa village and Vishal Pal, 38, of Bigahna village had gone to graze goats on Meja Pahadi on Friday. The area is under the jurisdiction of the forest department. The duo spotted a box like item covered in leaves and pushed it with a stick. This caused an explosion, causing injuries to the duo. Other shepherds and villagers rushed to the spot on hearing the explosion and called the police. Lakhanpal and Vishal were rushed to nearby CHC for treatment.

SSP Prayagraj Shailesh Kumar Pandey reached the spot and called the bomb disposal squad for investigations. Pandey later said that questioning of locals revealed that the place where the incident took place was forest area. Some locals often planted such devices to catch wild boars, he added.

Divisional forest officer Mahaveer Kaljougi said he would initiate an investigation into the incident after taking full details from local forest rangers. Sometimes farmers took such steps to keep away wild boars from their fields. Patrolling would be increased and further action would be taken if locals were found involved in any such acts, he said.