Wife of Deceased Eyewitness of Similipal Elephant Poaching Alleges Murder of Her Husband

Mayurbhanj: The wife of the deceased eyewitness of Similipal’s alleged elephant poaching and burning of its carcass has leveled murder allegations against the three accused.

The deceased, identified as Turam Purty was the only eyewitness of the alleged poaching and burning of the carcass of a wild tusker in the Similipal Tiger Reserve in Mayurbhanj district.

Purty’s wife has filed a complaint at Jashipur Police Station. She has lodged FIR against three accused, identified as Shiv Shankar Samal Jenabil ranger in-charge, forester Chandrabhanu Behera, and forest guard Binod Kumar Das.

Reportedly, some forest staff had burnt an elephant carcass. After burning, they threw the charred remains to a nearby stream to destroy the evidence. They killed the jumbo and removed its tusks in the core area of the tiger reserve. Purty was present there and he sent some photos of the incident to the higher authorities.

Based on it, the three arrested officials involved in it were suspended by the higher authorities of the forest department.