TMC leader arrested for ‘smuggling elephant tusks’ in Bihar

A joint team of Bihar police and the state’s forest department arrested Trinamool Congress leader Ashok Kumar Ojha and four other accused in Bihar’s Buxar district.

The joint team raided a house belonging to Ojha in Devkuli village under the Brahmpur police station area and recovered two elephant tusks weighing around 23 kg, worth lakhs of rupees, Bihar police sources said. (File Photo)

After a joint team of the Bihar police and forest department arrested Trinamool Congress leader Ashok Kumar Ojha and four others for smuggling elephant tusks in the Buxar district, Leader of West Bengal Assembly Opposition and BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari called TMC a “general store of crimes… not even sparing wildlife”.

Meanwhile, the TMC announced they would expel Ojha, who is president of ward 42 of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, from the party.

Ojha is known to be close to TMC MLA of Burrabazar Vivek Gupta. When the news broke out, Gupta said, “I heard that they (including Ojha) used to keep elephants at home. Many people in Bihar keep elephants at home. Recently, one of their elephants died. They sold that dead elephant. He left two ivory tusks at home. The party has nothing to do with this incident. He has been expelled from the party and all posts.”

Taking to X on Wednesday, Adhikari posted, “Prominent TMC leader Ashok Kumar Ojha of Burrabazar, Kolkata arrested from Bihar’s Buxar in Ivory smuggling case. Ojha, the figure of the smuggling racket was arrested along with four others for smuggling Elephant Tusks weighing 23 kg… I wonder what’s next!!!”

The four other accused who were arrested are from Bihar. They have been identified as Ganpat Sah from Begusarai, Manoj Kumar Pandey from Pipra Jagdishpur, Paras Nath Ram from Karakat, and Dhananjay Prasad Singh from Tirasi Bigha, Rohtas. Further investigation is underway.

Atri Mitra

Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain. Experience Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express. Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news. Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions. Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal. Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla. Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent. Education Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting. Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University. Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More

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