Bhubaneswar: The Athagarh police in Cuttack district of Odisha on Monday detained at least 10 Forest department personnel after the death of a 59-year-old man in their custody at the Badamba range office.
Those detained include two assistant conservators of forests (ACFs) – Ghanashyam Muduli and Harekrushna Mallick – and Badamba Ranger Subrat Behera. These Forest department officials have been detained at Athagarh police station in Cuttack.
According to sources, Dhaneswar Behera, a resident of Khuntakata Satagochhia village, was picked up by the Forest department officials on Sunday on charges of poaching a tusker and removing its tusks.
After the Forest department officials found a bullet-ridden carcass of a tusker with tusks missing in Hipinda Reserve Forest under Badamba range on January 31, they detained one Dhaneswar suspecting his involvement in this case.
The detainee, however, died under mysterious circumstances giving rise to tension in the area.
According to reports, the elephant’s carcass was lying in the forest for two days before being spotted by the villagers who went into the forest to collect firewood.
On being informed by the villagers, Forest department officials and Badamba veterinary officer reached the spot and carried out a post-mortem before burying the animal’s body following the procedures.
Irate over the death of Dhaneswar, the villagers had blocked the National Highway 65 on Cuttack-Narsinghpur road. Badamba Tehsildar and Athgarh SDPO reached the spot and held a discussion with the villagers in presence of local leaders.
A compensation of Rs 30,000 from the Red Cross and Rs 4,70,000 from the local administration was provided to the next of kin of the deceased. It was also assured that the DFO will provide a job to the daughter of Dhaneswar.
