Elephant deaths: Two forest officials placed under suspension

Two officials of the Forest department were placed under suspension on charge of dereliction in duty leading to death of three elephants due to electrocution at Borapada forest in Dhenkanal Forest Division.

Dhenkanal Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Rinku Kumar issued order of suspension of forester Punyabikash Bhoi and forest guard Srikant Guru.

"As per the post mortem report, the elephants had died 24 hours earlier. The forester and forest guard were suspended as they took 24 hours for detection of the deaths," the DFO said.

This apart, the DFO said show cause notices have also been issued to the Dhenkanal Sadar forest ranger Bibhuti Bhusan Patnaik and Central Electricity Supply Utility (CESU).

Meanwhile, the Forest department has also registered a case under sections of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 against a private company engaged by CESU to provide electricity-related services to consumers in Dhenkanal and Angul districts.

Some officials of the private company have also been named in the FIR, the DFO added. PTI COR AAM RG

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