Dhenkanal: Police Wednesday arrested three persons on charge of ransacking the Sarangi forest range office, the residence of the ranger and torching the official vehicle after a 45-year-old man was crushed to death by a tusker at Sarangi village under Gondia police limits in the district Tuesday night.
Acting on a complaint by Sarangi forest ranger Ashok Bhanja, police registered a case and forwarded the three to court.
Tension prevailed in the area following the incident. A police platoon was deployed to maintain law and order situation. Forest officials tried to bring the situation under control by providing an aid of Rs 40,000 to the bereaved family for conducting the last rites of the deceased.
According to reports, Krushna Pradhan (45) of Sarangi village was on his way to his house Tuesday night when the tusker caught him close to the high school and battered him to death.
The mishap triggered tension in the village as angry residents ransacked the Sarangi forest range office, the ranger’s official residence, the official jeep of the ranger and the motorcycles of the forest staff. Later, Gondia fire personnel reached the spot and doused the fire.
Angry villagers blamed the forest officials of not being able to keep a track on the movements of the pachyderms and attacked them. Panicked forest officials ran helter skelter and took shelter at the police station.
Police drew flak as they failed to reach the spot immediately even as the distance between Sarangi village and the police station was only 7 km. A police force rushed to the spot after Kodandadhar Sahu, the vice-president of the Zilla Parishad, informed the SP. Ranger Ashok Kumar Bhanja admitted the incident
The villagers alleged a tusker has been frequently foraying into the village over few days and has caused significant damage to their crops. Although the villagers have sought the help of forest officials to drive away the tusker, the latter have done nothing in this regard, they alleged.
PNN
