Khallikote: Believe it or not, Forest Department employees here have allegedly detained a goat for three days for eating branches of saplings planted by the department.
The queer incident has reportedly taken place at Bharasa Nuapalli village under Mathura panchayat in Khallikote tahasil of Ganjam district.
According to reports, a few shepherds of Bharasa Nuapalli village had taken their goats to the nearby hills to graze.
A few goats from the herd chewed up branches of saplings planted by the Forest Department as part of the afforestation efforts.
Following the incident, two Forest Department employees engaged to take care of the saplings abused the shepherds and took away a goat.
Despite pleadings by the shepherds, the Forest Department staff did not release the goat.
The Forest Department staff have kept the said goat in the post-mortem room at the Khallikote Forest Officer’s office for three days.
