India News | SIT Formed to Probe Jumbo Death in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, Jun 16 (PTI) A day after the Centre sought an action taken report from the Odisha government on the killing of a young tusker allegedly by poachers in Cuttack district, the state forest department Thursday formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident.

The SIT would also investigate the recovery of skeletal parts of three other jumbos from Athagarh forest division area in Cuttack district recently, officials said.

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The office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) said that a three-member SIT headed by the Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) will comprise a wildlife conservator and a senior officer of the Odisha Crime Branch.

The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Athagarh will no longer be a part of the investigation, they said.

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The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change in a letter to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) and Wildlife Warden had sought an action taken report (ATR) from the state forest department on the death of a 10-year-old male elephant due to gunshot wounds in Athagarh forest division of Cuttack district.

The Centre had also suggested to the state government to take strict action against the poachers and persons involved in the killing of the jumbo.

It suggested that legal action be initiated against the culprits under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

The tusker died on Tuesday and the animal had sustained gunshot wounds on the ear, trunk, neck, and legs on June 7.

Union Minister for Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav pointed out on Wednesday that elephant has been given the highest protection under Wild Life Protection Act.

“The Ministry has taken cognizance of the incident and the matter has been taken up with the state government for strict action against the poachers to ensure protection of our wildlife heritage,” he tweeted.

Yadav's tweet was in response to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's tweet on the death of the elephant.

The forest officials also on Tuesday found skeletal remains of one more elephant from Chandragiri reserve forest under Badamba range of Athagarh forest division.

Earlier this month, a team of the special task force of the Odisha crime branch had exhumed the skeletons of two jumbos from a place on the foothills of Chandragiri hills in the Gopinathpur section of the same forest range.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)