Elephant carcass cut into 32 pieces, buried in different places in Odisha

Berhampur: The carcass of a wild elephant, which died of suspected electrocution, was cut into 32 pieces and buried in different places in Odisha's Kandhamal and Kalahandi districts, a senior forest officer said on Monday.

According to officials, to avoid departmental action following the death of a wild elephant in Baliguda forest division in Kandhamal district, forest officers disposed of the body without any intimation or approval of higher authority. Preliminary inquiry has revealed that the carcass was cut into 32 pieces for easy shifting. Forest officials have recovered the pieces from two places, Tahansir and Jhiripani in Kalahandi and Kandhamal districts, respectively, said Regional Chief Conservator of Forests (RCCF), Berhampur, Vishwanath Neelannavar.

A wildlife offence case has been registered against Binay Kumar Bishi, deputy ranger, who was also the in-charge ranger of Belghar and others for hiding the facts and tampering with evidence, the RCCF said.

Bishi has been put under suspension. However, he is absconding. Bishi was booked under the Wildlife Act, and a search was on to arrest him, Neelannavar said.

The forest officer said they have seized three vehicles, including an excavator allegedly used for the shifting of the carcass pieces and arrested one of the vehicle owners, Hrushikesh Panda.

Reacting to the incident, Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia said, "Our department will take strong action against forest officers and all others who are found involved in the crime." The RCCF said the investigating officer of the case (assistant conservator of forests, Baliguda) has also issued notices to eight members of the anti-poaching squad and ordered them not to leave headquarters and appear before the investigation officer at the time of need.

He said that the samples of the carcass were sent to a forensic laboratory in OUAT to ascertain the age, sex and cause of death of the jumbo.

The incident came to light after the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Baliguda Ghanashyam Mahant directed ACF to conduct an inquiry about rumours about the death of an elephant and shifting of its carcass secretly on January 14.

In his inquiry report, the ACF had stated that it was a rumour.

However, the DFO had again entrusted another ACF Baliguda Manoranjan Bagha, to conduct an inquiry into the incident after the local sarapanch, Sanjukta Mallick, lodged a complaint about the death of the elephant on January 17.

RCCF and DFO visited the area on January 19 and put Bishi under suspension.

"I have also asked the DFO Baliguda to verify the role of the ACF who had earlier given a clean chit on the death of the elephant," said Neelannavar.