Bhubaneswar: A court on Thursday sentenced 11 people to four years’ imprisonment for poaching a male Asiatic elephant inside Similipal Tiger Reserve in Nov 2023 and removing its tusks after killing it with a poisonous arrow.While Ghasiram Jerai, Anand Kerai, Shivshankar Banara, Narendra Banara, Chaku Alda, Debara Badra, Papulu Badra, Markand Ho, Tuku Badra, Santanu Badra and Berga Badra have been convicted, 12 other accused in the case remain absconding.According to the wildlife wing of forest department, the conviction is significant as it helps dismantle three dreaded elephant hunting gangs operating in and around Similipal.Officials said the elephant carcass was detected late, but investigators gathered strong scientific and circumstantial evidence that led to the arrest and successful prosecution of the offenders.The court punished the 11 under sections 2, 9, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32, 39(a), 39(b), 39(d), 48-A, 49-B, 50 and 52 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, for illegally entering the core area of Similipal’s Kabatghai-I beat and poaching a Schedule-I male Asiatic elephant.“The carcass was later detected by forest personnel during patrolling at Chulipanidanda forest. On inspection, officials found that the front portion of the elephant’s skull had been cut off, while both tusks and the lower mandible on both sides were missing. A crucial breakthrough came during the postmortem examination. With the help of a metal detector, veterinary surgeons detected a foreign object inside the elephant’s body. After making an incision, they recovered a 4.5-inch metal arrowhead,” the judgment read.The postmortem found all internal organs of the elephant intact, leading experts to conclude that it may have died after being hit by a poisonous arrow.Investigators later uncovered the involvement of a large group in the poaching and illegal trade of tusks. The investigating officer arrested the 11 and seized incriminating materials from their possession.Despite repeated notices, the 12 absconding accused did not appear before the investigating officer. During the trial, the prosecution examined 18 witnesses.
