Nilagiri: Forest Department Thursday arrested five Forest personnel on charge of covering up the death of an elephant at Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary under Nilagiri sub-division in Balasore district. The accused were identified as a forest guard Padmalochan Patra and four ‘Sabuja Bahini’ workers Karama Behera, Maheswar Behera, Prafulla Dehuri and Bulu Dehuri of Betei area. Forest personnel had spotted the mutilated carcass of the elephant in May while patrolling in the jungle under the Betei forest beat house in Oupada forest range which is located to the south of Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary.
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However, they tried to suppress the matter as they feared that they will lose their jobs if the senior officials came to know about the animal’s death. They picked up the mutilated body parts of the animal scattered it in the jungle and hid them under large rocks. However, tension prevailed after kin of the accused Sabuja Bahini workers locked up the forest office at Kuldiha and waylaid the vehicle of the Forest department. They relented after police reached the spot and managed to placate them. Kuldiha Forest department registered a case in this connection and produced the accused persons in the court.