A routine visit to his in-laws’ village turned into a nightmare in the forests of Balangir district. Khetra Bag of Chandanajuri village was electrocuted and killed after he and his sister-in-law came into contact with a live electric wire laid as a trap for wild boars.
The incident occurred in Guinchadihi forest under Larambha police station limits. Bag had come to his father-in-law’s village. While the two were walking along a forest path, they struck the illegally electrified wire set by hunters. The sister-in-law suffered severe electric shock and has been left unable to speak. Bag died on the spot.
Instead of reporting the tragedy, those who laid the trap allegedly moved the body about a kilometre away and concealed it inside a cave on a hill. Police launched an intensive search that lasted from morning until evening before recovering the body.
The woman remains in a critical condition and has not been able to give a statement. Larambha police have registered a case and are continuing their investigation into the illegal hunting setup and the attempt to hide the body.
Electric traps for wild animals remain a persistent and deadly problem in parts of Odisha. They kill indiscriminately—wildlife and humans alike—and often lead to hurried cover-ups by those responsible.
