Kendrapada: Troubles appeared to have mounted for Inspector In-Charge (IIC) of Odisha’s Pattamundai Model Police Station, Bandana Patra, with forest department officials accusing her of having links with pangolin scale smugglers.
Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) of Rajnagar in Kendrapada district, Gagan Bihari Mallick alleged that the IIC tried to create obstruction in the investigation during a crackdown on pangolin scale smugglers on January 21.
Accusing Patra of misbehaving with forest department officials, he told reporters that the IIC allegedly slapped false case against forest department personnel instead of facilitating probe against those involved in wildlife offences.
Strongly protesting alleged highhandedness of the police official, the foresters’ association has threatened to launch cease work agitation if stringent action is not taken against the IIC.
Bibhuti Tarai, president of the foresters’ association expressed the hope that appropriate action would be taken against the police official.
Meanwhile, IIC Bandana Patra was not immediately available for comment on the allegations made against her.
