Nayagarh: A hunting expedition in the Gochha reserved forest under the Nayagarh forest division turned tragic Thursday night when a man was accidentally shot and killed by a fellow hunter, police said.
The deceased was identified as Suryamani Pradhan, 42, of Gochha village under the jurisdiction of the Sarankul police station. According to police and local sources, Pradhan was unintentionally shot in the head by one of his companions during the trip. The two other hunters — Santosh Kumar Sahu and Mitu Pradhan of Badhisahi in Kajalaipalli panchayat — had allegedly persuaded Suryamani to join them, despite his initial reluctance. The group reportedly hunted and consumed a wild animal before moving deeper into the forest. While tracking another animal, they split up. Santosh, mistaking rustling near a tree for a wild animal, allegedly fired his weapon, fatally striking Suryamani in the head. Realising their mistake, the two men reportedly panicked and attempted to cremate the body deep inside the forest with the help of local villagers, in an apparent effort to cover up the incident. Sarankul police were alerted to the suspicious cremation and arrived at the site Friday while the last rites were underway.
Officers seized the partially burnt body and sent it to Nayagarh district headquarters hospital for a post-mortem examination. Ten individuals involved in the attempted cover-up were detained for questioning. Initial investigation suggests that an offer of four acres of land and Rs 2 lakh was made to silence the deceased’s family. A formal case (93/22) was registered following a complaint by Pradhan’s wife, and both hunters remain at large. Sarankul SDPO and IIC Paramananda Dalei confirmed the incident is under active investigation. “We have received different versions of the incident. While it appears to be a shooting, whether it was intentional or accidental will be determined after a thorough inquiry and the post-mortem report,” Dalei said.
