BHUBANESWAR: The three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Forest and Environment department to probe into the incidents of elephant death cover-ups in Athagarh has been granted two more weeks time to submit its report.
The extension has been given on the basis of the request made by the team in view of their ongoing investigation, said officials of the Forest and Environment department. The SIT will now require to submit its investigation report to the government by the third week of September.
The State government had constituted the SIT involving forest and crime branch officials to probe the elephant deaths cover-ups in the Athagarh area in June third week after carcasses of three elephants, two male and a female, were recovered by the Crime Branch STF on June 2 and 3 and forest department on June 14 in Baramba range.
Subsequently, carcasses of two more elephants were recovered from the Athagarh forests and a nearby forest in Satkosia prompting the wildlife wing of the department to ask the SIT to look into all such instances in the division in the past.
The SIT is also investigating the alleged ivory smuggling racket in the division which so far has remained out of public knowledge.RCCF (Angul circle) M Yogajayanand is heading the SIT.