BARIPADA: Three siblings were arrested on Monday by the security personnel of Betnoti range in the Baripada territorial forest division for allegedly electrocuting a seven-year-old female elephant, in violation of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. The elephant’s carcass was found in their orchard early on Saturday morning.
The accused, Piru Hansdah (40), Singrai Hansdah (36), and Tofan Hansdah (34) from Tikakhai Sahi of Nakichua village, were taken into custody after the incident.
Rasgovindpur range officer Ghanashyam Singh informed TNIE that the carcass was found in the orchard of the three accused who had wired a naked electric cable around the fence of their orchard to prevent elephants from entering. A herd of three elephants had recently ventured into the village from the Similipal Tiger Reserve.
During interrogation, the siblings confessed to connecting the power supply to the cable before going to bed on Friday night.
The female elephant, separated from her herd, had entered the village and was electrocute while trying to enter the orchard.
On getting information, DFO A Uma Mahesh, regional chief conservator of forests-cum-field director Prakash Chand Gogineni, and a team of forest staff, including the range officer, rushed to the spot to investigate. A veterinary team from Rasgovindpur conducted an autopsy on the elephant.