Barang: A man was detained at the Nandankanan Zoo managed for carrying a rifle inside the premises despite three tier security.
The employees spotted the visitor carrying a carbine rifle at Safari ticket counter and immediately alerted the zoo authority. On being alerted, Deputy Director Jayant Das informed security department and ranger of revenue department. Subsequently Revenue Ranger Sameer Sahu and his team reached the spot and took the person to the zoo office.
Later, during interrogation he was identified as Sekhar Yadav, a constable of police department and is engaged as an armed security guard of Ayodhya Mutt Mahanta.
He pleaded ignorance of the rule disallowing firearms inside the zoo. A fine of Rs 500 was collected from him before he was handed over to Nandankanan police station.
For the safety of visitors and animals as well, there are Nandankanan zoo’s own security staff, tourism police and personnel of private security agency are engaged. This apart, four permanent staff of the zoo, ranger of security department, an ASI of tourist police station and personnel of private security agency are deployed there to check visitors. If anyone found suspicious, they are liable to be checked before being allowed into the zoo.
Despite, such security arrangements, how a person carrying a rifle purchased ticket, went into the zoo compound, moved freely inside the zoo and could not be spotted by any security persons until being spotted by Safari staff at the Safari ticket counter, asked the visitors and the locals.
They alleged that the incident has indicated laxity is the security system inside the zoo.