Bhubaneswar: A joint team of police and Forest Department officials arrested two more persons, including the main accused in the alleged killing of a forest guard in Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR), from Musabani in East Singhbum district of Jharkhand, late last night.
They have been identified as Krushna Singh, key accused, and Gobardhan Singh. Three country guns were also seized from them.
Forest guard Bimal Kumar Jena was shot by a group of people carrying a live barking deer on May 22 evening. Two were arrested the following morning. Former sarpanch of Gendapokhri Buddhadeb Singh was also found involved in the murder and arrested along with two other persons – Jugulu Singh of Jargadihi and Suklal Marndi of Kuali – four days ago.
Balasore SP Sagarika Nath, who is also in charge of Mayurbhanj district, told the media that police had initially suspected involvement of 10 poachers. “After detailed investigation, 26 suspects were identified of which seven have been arrested. Krushna Singh was nabbed from Musabani jungle in the neighbouring state with help from Jharkhand police. Three teams are still in the sanctuary area and efforts are on to nab the remaining poachers,” she said.
Nine country guns, four partially operational guns, bow and arrows, tangia (axe), cycle ball bearings and nets have been seized during this manhunt, which was carried out along with the cleanse Similipal operation to dismantle the network of poachers, she further said.
The poachers had entered the bordering area of Pithabata (south) range and Nawna (north) range of the reserve and surrounded a team of five forest personnel, who were on routine patrol. As the forest guards tried to catch one of them, a bullet fired by one of the poachers from a country-made gun killed Jena. The 35-year-old forest guard is survived by wife Lipina Swain, a forest guard in Pithabata range, and a six-year-old daughter.
