The Odisha state government has taken stringent action against a senior forest officer following a deeply disturbing case of wildlife crime and procedural lapses. On Saturday, the government suspended Baliguda assistant conservator of forests (ACF) Suryakant Behera with immediate effect. This decisive move comes in response to his shoddy and negligent investigation into the tragic death of an elephant in Kandhamal district on January 17.
Gruesome Details of the Elephant's Death and Mutilation
The case, which has sparked outrage, involves not just the death of the elephant but a subsequent act of extreme desecration. Forest department sources revealed that after the elephant was electrocuted, its carcass was brutally cut into 32 separate pieces. These pieces were then transported and buried in different locations across Tahansir in Kalahandi district and Jhiripani in Kandhamal district, in an apparent attempt to conceal the crime. The remains were later recovered by investigating teams.
Systemic Failures and Disciplinary Action
An official office order issued by the state's forest and environment department confirmed the suspension of ACF Suryakant Behera, pending full disciplinary proceedings. The order stipulates that during his suspension, Behera's headquarters will be fixed at the office of the principal conservator of forests. He is expressly forbidden from leaving this headquarters without obtaining prior written permission from the competent authority.
This suspension is part of a widening crackdown. Earlier, the regional chief conservator of forests (RCCF) of Berhampur had already suspended deputy ranger Binaya Kumar Bishi of Belaghar for his direct involvement in the incident. Bishi's driver, Hrusikesh Panda, was also arrested by forest officials.
Fresh Arrests and Expanding Investigation
The net is widening as the investigation progresses. On Saturday, forest officers made two more crucial arrests in connection with the case. Jayamangal Patra, a 31-year-old resident of Karachandi, was arrested for his alleged role in the electrocution of the elephant. In a separate but connected arrest, Prasant Kumar Mohapatra, aged 33 from Rohili, was taken into custody for his involvement in the shifting and disposal of the elephant's carcass.
Authorities also seized an additional vehicle believed to have been used in the gruesome operation to transport the mutilated remains. This brings the total number of vehicles impounded in the case to multiple.
Initial Probe Labeled a "Rumour," Leading to Deeper Scrutiny
Sources within the department have shed light on the initial investigative failures that prompted the suspension. It is reported that Baliguda Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Ghanashyam Mandal had originally tasked ACF Suryakant Behera with conducting an inquiry into the elephant's death. Shockingly, Behera reportedly submitted a report dismissing the incident as merely a "rumour," thereby halting any serious probe.
The truth began to unravel after Gumma sarpanch Sanjukta Mallick filed a formal complaint about the elephant's death on January 17. Following this complaint, DFO Mandal bypassed the flawed initial inquiry and assigned ACF Manoranjan Bagha to conduct a fresh and proper investigation into the incident. The gravity of the situation became clear when the RCCF and the DFO personally visited the area on January 19, leading to the immediate suspension of deputy ranger Bishi and setting the stage for the subsequent actions against ACF Behera.
The case highlights serious lapses in wildlife crime investigation and enforcement within the region, prompting a top-down review and disciplinary action from the state forest department.
