Athagarh: As many as seven forest officials including Badamba ranger have been detained after a 59-year-old man, picked up on charges of elephant poaching, died in custody at the range office.
The deceased was identified as Dhaneswar Behera of Khuntakata village under Athagarh tehsil here.
As per reports, forest personnel had recovered a decomposed body of a tusker from Badamba-Hindol range a few days back. During the investigation, the officials detained Dhaneswar as a suspecting the case. However, he died in the department’s custody.
Following the death, Athagarh police launched a probe and detained Badamaba ranger and six others in this connection.
Those detained include two assistant conservators of forests (ACFs) – Ghanashyam Muduli and Harekrushna Mallick – and Badamba Ranger Subrat Behera.
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