BHUBANESWAR: Two more persons were arrested in connection with death of a tusker due to gunshot wounds in Narasinghpur area of Athagarh forest division in Cuttack. Athagarh DFO Sudarshan Gopinath Jadav said the accused were arrested from Narasinghpur area after it was found that they were also involved in firing at the tusker that died due to pellet injuries on June 14 after battling for life for over a fortnight.
With these arrests, the number of people apprehended in connection with the case has reached five so far. Earlier, the division had arrested three persons in this connection. The prime accused in the case, however, is still absconding, the DFO said. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has instructed the State Forest Department to probe the matter and take stringent action against the poachers in the case.