BARIPADA: A day after the seizure of a Royal Bengal Tiger (RBT) hide from the fringes of Similipal National Park, a joint team of the Crime Branch STF and Baripada forest division on Thursday arrested the prime accused for his alleged involvement in the case.
He was identified as Fagu Prasad Hansdah of Angarpada village within Udala police limits in Mayurbhanj. STF officials said Hansdah, a habitual wildlife offender, was earlier arrested in connection with illegal transportation of eight elephant tusks in February 2021.
Baripada DFO Santosh Joshi said the accused was involved in smuggling of the RBT hide. “He managed to escape when the joint team seized the RBT skin from the possession of another accused Dev Kumar Patra near Bisipur in Udala,” Joshi said.
Hansdah was produced in Udala SDJM Court and remanded in judicial custody after his bail plea was rejected. Patra has already been arrested and a case registered against him under sections 379, 411, 120 (B) of the IPC, 25 and 27 of the Arms Act and 51 of Wildlife Protection Act.
It is suspected that the hide is of a tiger poached in Similipal. However, forest officials maintained that its identification is yet to be done. RCCF, Baripada circle and Similipal field director T Ashok Kumar said the skin has been sent to Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun for identification.
On the other hand, Kumar said a team led by an ACF-ranked officer has expedited probe into the suspected elephant poaching incident in the core area of Similipal Tiger Reserve. Three forest officials have already been arrested for allegedly suppressing the poaching incident.