The forest department in Odisha arrested three individuals on Monday for allegedly killing a 'makhna' (a male elephant without tusks) and burying its carcass using an excavator in a mango orchard under Hindol range in Dhenkanal district.
Arrests and Accusations
The arrested include Pramod Kumar Raj (64), the owner of the orchard, excavator operator Sudhir Bhatia (28), and Rajib Choudhury (38), a watchman at the orchard. According to forest officials, the elephant likely strayed into the orchard to eat mangoes, which may have provoked the owner.
Evidence of Electrocution
Sanjay Swain, Regional Chief Conservator of Forests (Angul circle), stated, “From the neck and trunk area we could see black marks, indicating electrocution. The farmhouse has a solar fence around it, and the fence was connected with high-voltage wire. The elephant may have died upon touching it. However, a post-mortem report will confirm the exact reason behind the death.”
Discovery and Investigation
Swain noted that the incident occurred on Friday, but the forest department only received information on Monday. “We got information about the burial of the elephant carcass from our informers,” he said. Upon receiving the tip, forest officials visited the site with an excavator. “We had to use an excavator to dig up the site where the carcass was buried. We took the carcass out and did a post-mortem in the presence of senior forest officials and specialist veterinarians,” Swain told reporters.
Burial Details
Forest officials revealed that soon after the elephant's death, a 20-foot-deep hole was dug using an excavator, which has since been seized. The elephant was buried with the help of the excavator operator and the watchman. A senior forest officer added, “If there is involvement of others in the crime, they will be caught soon.”
The post-mortem report is awaited to determine the exact cause of death, and further investigations are ongoing.
