In a major joint operation, forest personnel at Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary arrested a poacher during the early hours of Wednesday and recovered two dead mouse deer along with a country-made firearm.
The incident unfolded on the night of October 6 at around 11:30 PM, when staff from Kuldiha Bit-1 heard gunshots fired from the direction of Sataghati Dam. Suspecting that poachers were heading toward Tenda village, they immediately alerted the personnel of Tenda Wildlife Bit.
A joint team—led by the In-Charge Range Officer of Kuldiha Wildlife Range and the Forester of Panchalingeswar Wildlife Section—staged a targeted ambush behind Sataghati Dam. At approximately 3:30 AM, patrolling guards spotted suspicious torchlights returning from the Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary side and closed in to intercept the group.
The arrested poacher has been identified as Purnachandra Singh (33), a resident of Tenda village under Sajanagarh Panchayat in Nilagiri Block. Officials seized two dead mouse deer and a handmade gun from his possession. Taking advantage of the pitch darkness, his accomplices managed to escape the spot.
The accused was brought to the Kuldiha Wildlife Range Office in Nilagiri, where a formal case was registered against him. He was subsequently produced before the Hon’ble Sub-Divisional Judicial Magistrate (SDJM) Court in Nilagiri. Following the rejection of his bail plea, the court remanded him to judicial custody.
The raid was carried out by a team comprising Kuldiha In-Charge Range Officer Soumya Ranjan Majhi, Panchalingeswar Wildlife Section Forester Hrusikesh Pradhan, Kuldiha Bit Forest Guard Shashanka Shekhar Jena, Tenda Wildlife Bit Forest Guard Rakesh Kumar Barik, and Tenda Bit staffer Subash Singh. Efforts are underway to track down the fleeing suspects.
