Kaliapani police have arrested two young men for carrying unlicensed firearms in the Tikarpada forest adjacent to the Kaliapani mining belt, following a complaint by the Anandapur Forest Division.
The suspects were identified through hidden camera traps installed by forest officials in the Tikarpada reserve under the Anandapur division. The footage showed the duo roaming the forest armed with guns, prompting the forest authorities to lodge an official complaint at the Kaliapani police station.
Based on the footage, local police successfully identified the accused. In an early-morning raid led by Kaliapani Police Station IIC Prakash Pradhan and his team, police raided Tikarpada village and took both suspects into custody.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Mathura Birua (31), son of Mangal Singh Birua, and Chata Juanga (25), son of Machhua Juanga, both residents of Tikarpada village.
According to Officer Pradhan, two separate cases (Case Nos. 86/2026 and 87/2026) have been registered under the Arms Act, and both accused were forwarded to court on Friday. Further investigation into potential wildlife poaching activities in the region is ongoing.
