Baripada: The police have arrested 10 persons for their involvement in the murder of forester Mati Hansdah in Similipal Tiger Reserve in Mayurbhanj district, informed SP Battula Gangadhar today.
All the arrested persons belong to Edelbeda village under Thakurmunda police station in the district. The accused are identified as Turi Kandyan (30), Ramai Kandyan (61), Mora Ho (43), Manikaram Kandyan (43), Gopabandhu Kandyan (31), Dillip Kandyan (25), Ramsingh Gundua (34), Singha Ho (32), Gameya Ho (25) and Champai Ho (26).
The police have seized 2 country-made guns, 2 bows, 3 arrows, 2 axes and an iron rod from the possession of the arrested persons. The police have started a de-weaponization drive in the area cracking down on possession of firearms, informed the SP.
The arrested persons have been booked under Sections 302, 353, 332, 333, 307, 120 (B), 34 of the IPC and Section 51 of Wildlife Protection Act and Section 25 and 27 of the Arms Act, the police said.
Further investigation is on to find the involvement of any other person in the killing of the forester, they said.
It may be noted that the incident occurred when a team of forest officials including Hansda was carrying out patrolling inside Similipal Sanctuary at Gamuchajharan on the intervening night of June 16. Then the forest officials intercepted the poachers, and the latter opened fire. In this incident, Hansda was killed by the poachers.
This was the second such case of a forest official killed by poachers within a period of one month in the Similipal sanctuary, Asia’s second-largest biosphere reserve and home to Royal Bengal Tigers.
