Orissa: CID may be asked to probe leopard killing

State wildlife department is all set to refer the matter to CID considering the 'severity of the crime'.

Almost a week after villagers living on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar clobbered a young male leopard to death after alleged incitement by local TV journalists,the State wildlife department is all set to refer the matter to the state Criminal Investigation Department considering the “severity of the crime”.

On January 13 morning,a one and half-year-old male leopard was beaten to death by a mob of villagers at Gandarpur on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. The leopard had strayed into a forest department plantation,located on a high sandbar on Kuakhia riverbed when it was spotted by villagers. Before the animal could be captured and transquilised by the staff of Nandankanan Zoo,it was clobbered to death with cricket bats,wickets ans sticks allegedly at the incitement of two reporters of a private TV channel who wanted “exclusive and striking visuals”. A post mortem done on the animal showed it suffered grievous injuries in head and haemorrhaged to death.

Not satisfied with the killing,the villagers proceeded to parade the carcass through the village and even tied it up to a building on display. They refused to hand it over to forest department demanding compensation for the victims.

City DFO Jayanta Kumar Dash said he would recommend to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests(wildlife) to go for a CID probe as the crime was “heinous”. “Only an agency like CID can investigate such a crime. Too many people are involved and strong cases need to be built up against each one of them.” he said.

The wildlife department which lodged an FIR with a local police station on January 18(though backdating it to Jan 13) along with seizure reports it is yet to arrest anyone. The department which lodged the case under Section 9 and Section 48 of Wildlife Protection Act,1972 over killing of the Schedule-I animal,so far has managed to identify 6-7 accused. “We are going to arrest each one of the people responsible for the killing,” he added.

Though the department is still investigating the matter,the preliminary report of city DFO has made it clear that at least two mediapersons of a local TV channel were involved. “The leopard was not trying to attack anyone. The animal was trying to escape and could have left the place had the villagers given it safe exit. But it was needlessly poked and stoned to death,” Dash said. “The mediamen who instigated the mob could be booked as abettor and get the same punishment as any other accused,” he added.

The DFO stated that had the villagers given just another 15 minutes,the leopard could have been tranquillised and safely removed from the site by a team that was already on its way from Nandankanan Zoo,only 10 kms away.

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For killing Schedule-I wild animals,the minimum penalty is 3 years rigorous imprisonment with provision of extending it to 7 years RI. The offences are non-bailable in nature.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority has also asked Orissa wildlife department to inquire whether a local TV reporter incited the villagers.

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