Buguda: Acting on a tip-off, Forest Department officials Friday arrested a poacher on the charges of attempting to hunt wild animals by creating an electric wire mesh in Solandi forest under Buguda forest range in Ganjam district.
The accused has been identified as Kedar Swain of Dakarabadi village. Forest Department officials also seized an 800-metre electric wire, 25 wooden sticks, 25 glass pieces and some plastic from his possession during the raid.
A case was registered and Swain was produced in court. He was subsequently sent to judicial custody after the court rejected his bail plea, forest officer Prasant Kumar Sahu said.
According to sources, Swain was a regular offender. He spread 11KV electric wires and poached animals.
The Forest Department team, including Buguda forester Sukant Kumar Patnaik, forest guard Ratan Mallick, Sibaram Patra, Rinku Sethy and Rashmiranjan Pradhan, conducted a raid in the forest Thursday night and waited for Swain to arrive to check the trap laid by him.
As expected, Swain arrived at the spot early Friday morning and was arrested by the forest officials.
PNN
