DHENKANAL: In a bid to protect his mango crop, a 61-year-old man allegedly electrocuted an elephant to death and buried its carcass in his farmhouse near Hindol town in Dhenkanal district.
Police on Monday arrested farmhouse owner Pramod Raj along with excavator operator Sudhir Bhutia (24) and watchman Rajib Chaudhury (38) for their alleged involvement in killing the 30-year-old male elephant and burying its carcass. Raj committed the crime to prevent elephants from entering his farmhouse and feasting on mangoes, said police.
Divisional forest officer (DFO) of Dhenkanal Lalit Kumar Patra said Raj’s farmhouse is solar fenced to prevent elephants from entering it. However, the accused electrified the entire fence to keep elephants at bay and save his mangoes.
On Thursday night, Patra said, a male elephant tried to enter the farmhouse and was killed instantly after coming in contact with the high-voltage live-wire fence. After finding the elephant dead, Raj buried its carcass in his farmhouse on Friday morning with the help of an excavator without informing the local forest officials.
The DFO said based on intelligence inputs, an aerial survey of the accused’s farmhouse was conducted with a drone. After being confirmed of a burial site, a forest team raided the farmhouse on Sunday. The three accused were picked up and during interrogation, they confessed to the crime, said Patra.
On the day, the elephant’s carcass was exhumed from the farmhouse in the presence of RCCF Sanjay Kumar Swain and officials of the forest, revenue and electricity departments. Later, veterinarians conducted the postmortem.
Forest officials have sealed the farmhouse and seized the excavator and a motorcycle used in the crime. A case has been registered in Hindol police station and the accused will be produced in court on Tuesday.