NUAPADA: Forest officials on Monday arrested two persons for their involvement in poaching a leopard in Nuapada.
The accused, Pustam Chinda (58) and Hrusikesh Chinda (40) of Deodhara within Komna police limits, reportedly cooked and consumed the leopard meat after poaching the big cat.
Forest department sources said the accused and their accomplices had laid a trap to hunt wild boars near the forest in Deodhara village. On November 16, they managed to trap a leopard in it. Subsequently, they killed the big cat, de-skinned it and cooked the meat.
On a tip-off, forest officials raided the location of the poachers on Monday and nabbed two of them. However, two other accused managed to escape. The officials seized the leopard hide, head and some meat from them.
Assistant conservator of forests (ACF) of Khariar territorial division Md Mustafa Saleha said the accused duo is likely to be produced in court on Wednesday after investigation is completed.
A manhunt has been launched to nab the two accused who are absconding. Further investigation is underway to ascertain the involvement of others in the incident, he added.