3 Forest Dept Officials Suspended For Electrocution Death Of 3 Elephants In Odisha

Bhubaneswar: The Forest Department has suspended three field officials and transferred three others in connection with the electrocution death of three elephant, including a calf, in Odisha’s Samablpur district.

Those suspended are two forest guards, Sabita Sahu and Ratani Dehury, and forester Thakur Charan Pradhan. Those transferred were Balaram Pradhan, Dharmendra Pradhan and Prasanta Sahoo

The department intensified probe into the incident after Chief Minister Mohan Majhi expressed concern over the death of the elephants in the Naktideul range under Rairakhol forest division during the early hours of Monday after coming into contact with an electric trap laid by poachers to catch wild boars.

Meanwhile, two villagers – Sanjit Kumar Behera (50) and Gopi Basantra (18) from Ghosramal in Rairakhol- were also arrested for allegedly setting up the illegal electric trap that led to the elephant deaths. They will be produced in court on Wednesday.

Besides, the Forest department has issued show cause notice to the local power distribution company and sought a report.

On Monday, PCCF (Wildlife) Susanta Nanda attributed it to negligence and lack of vigilance by forest staff and warned of strict actions against those responsible. Besides, a team, including the Joint Task Force and Deputy Conservator of Forest, Regional Chief Conservator of Forest (RCCF) and Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) were directed to probe the matter.