3 Odisha forest officials held for killing worker over elephant carcass burning: Police
The Odisha police on Thursday arrested three forest officials for allegedly killing a temporary forest guard, who witnessed the burning of the carcass of an elephant that was poached in the state’s Similipal tiger reserve last December
The Odisha police on Thursday arrested three forest officials for allegedly killing a temporary forest guard, who witnessed the burning of the carcass of an elephant that was poached in the state’s Similipal tiger reserve last December.
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According to police, Jenabil ranger in-charge Shiv Shankar Samal, and forest guards Chandrabhanu Behera and Binod Kumar Das, allegedly thrashed and then poisoned 20-year-old Turram Purti after he recorded them burning the carcass of an elephant that had its tusk sawn off and head hacked in December last year. The accused were trying to burn the carcass in order to avoid being reprimanded by senior officials of the reserve for failing to check poaching, police said.
Purti, the tribal protection assistant, recorded the incident on his cellphone and sent the clip to the senior officials in the reserve after which the three accused were suspended.
Karanjia sub-divisional police officer Sudarshan Gangoi said Purty’s wife, in her FIR, alleged that the three accused forced her husband to drink water laced with poison in the hospital after he was admitted following the assault.
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“She had alleged that soon after her husband regained consciousness in the hospital, the three officials forcibly gave him poison. We had booked the three under Section 302 of IPC,” said Gangoi.
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“She had alleged that soon after her husband regained consciousness in the hospital, the three officials forcibly gave him poison. We had booked the three under Section 302 of IPC,” said Gangoi.
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The three accused had approached the Orissa HC for anticipatory bail but their plea was rejected. “We were waiting for the HC order. Once their petitions were rejected, we arrested them,” said the SDPO.
In 2022, Odisha recorded 12 cases where forest department personnel were allegedly involved in hiding instances of elephant poaching by burning or burying the carcasses. In almost every case, action against the erring officials was initiated on directions of the Orissa high court.
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.
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