Five people who work in the forest have been taken into custody.

Five personnel from the Forest Department were apprehended on Thursday for their alleged involvement in concealing the death of an elephant at Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary in Balasore district, under the Nilagiri sub-division. The individuals in question were identified as Padmalochan Patra, a forest guard, and four workers from the 'Sabuja Bahini' group - Karama Behera, Maheswar Behera, Prafulla Dehuri, and Bulu Dehuri - all hailing from the Betei area.

The incident came to light in May when forest personnel, while on patrol in the jungle near the Betei forest beat house in Oupada forest range, stumbled upon the mutilated carcass of an elephant. However, instead of reporting the matter to their superiors, they chose to keep it under wraps, fearing that they would lose their jobs if the higher officials found out about the animal's death. In an attempt to cover up their actions, they scattered the animal's body parts in the jungle and concealed them under large rocks.

The situation took a tense turn when the family members of the accused 'Sabuja Bahini' workers staged a protest by locking up the forest office at Kuldiha and blocking the vehicle of the Forest Department. However, the police managed to diffuse the situation and calm the agitated relatives. The Kuldiha Forest Department took swift action by registering a case against the accused and presenting them in court.

This incident has raised concerns about the unethical practices and corruption within the Forest Department, as well as the lack of proper protocols and procedures in dealing with such cases. It is imperative that measures are taken to prevent such incidents from happening in the future and to ensure the protection of the wildlife in our forests.

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