BHUBANESWAR: A four-member special investigation team (SIT) formed by the forest department on Thursday to probe recent elephant deaths in Athagarh forest in Cuttack district will try to ascertain if there is involvement of an inter-state wildlife crime syndicate.
According to the terms of reference of the SIT, it will carry out a thorough and comprehensive probe into the recent cases through various angles such as the alleged connivance of forest personnel and poachers, criminal negligence and deliberate concealment of elephant deaths.
This apart, the SIT will look into whether more such incidents took place in the division. The SIT members will also look into details of forward and backward linkages and examine whether a crime syndicate is involved.
“There has been preliminary discussion on the course of investigation. We will examine staff, people and whosoever we feel are linked to the incidents of elephant deaths. We will probe the death of the jumbo with five bullet injuries in Narasinghapur area of Cuttack division and the cases of elephant carcasses being exhumed in Athagarh forest division,” regional chief conservator of forests, M Yogajayanand, said after the first sitting of the SIT on Friday.
In February, the special task force (STF) of the crime branch exhumed the carcass of a tusker in Barasingha beat of Narasinghapur west division leading to suspension of a range officer. In June, carcasses of two elephants were found in Badamba range of Athagarh forest division. In all the three cases, altogether six forest personnel, including two rangers, were placed under suspension.
The SIT, comprising Yogajayanand, another chief conservator of forests from the forest department headquarters and a senior STF officer, is headed by Manoj Nair, director, Nandankanan zoo, who has the rank of chief conservator of forests.
An SIT member said they can rope in any expert for scientific examination of any material evidence during the course of the investigation period of one month.
Wildlife campaigners, however, are unhappy that the SIT comprises only government officials and not an independent expert specializing in the field.
“We urge you to include at least one independent expert in the team to rule out possible partiality,” said Biswajit Mohanty, secretary of Wildlife Society of Odisha (WSO), an NGO that has written to the forest secretary for inclusion of an independent person in the SIT.
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