Electric snare to catch wild boar kills two cops in Kerala

Police sources said that the two were found to have suffered burn injuries caused by electric shock

Two policemen, who were found dead in a paddy field in Palakkad district, were suspected to have died of electrocution from an electrified wire snare illegally set up to trap wild boars.

The deceased were Ashok Kumar (35) and Mohandas (36), who were havildars in Kerala Police Armed Reserve Camp at Muttikulangara. They were missing since Wednesday; their bodies were found in a nearby paddy field on Thursday.

According to police sources, the two had burn injuries on them, suspected to have been caused by electrocution. Subsequent investigation revealed that they suffered shocks from an electrified wire snare that was purportedly set up to trap wild boars.

The police have taken into custody two persons who allegedly set up the live wire snare. They have been reportedly involved in prior poaching cases.

Police suspect that the two accused tried to destroy evidence. According to the police, the two-spotted the policemen’s bodies on Thursday morning and then immediately removed the electric snare to hide the cause of death. The bodies were also apparently moved from the incident spot with the intention to mislead the investigation. The snare itself was suspected to have been connected to a power line passing through the area.

Apart from the police case registered for the deaths, the forest and the power departments could also initiate separate cases against the accused, said the police.

In Kerala, wild boar poaching has been quite rampant; most of the time, the reason cited is that the boars are a threat to crops. However, the traps put in place for wild boars—such as ingesting explosive-laden food items—have killed or grievously injured elephants or other animals.

Farmers have been putting pressure on the government to take measures to curb the wild boar menace.