Bantala: Sundari, the Royal Bengal Tigress that killed a woman at Hatibari, a village under the Tikarapada forest range within the Satkosia sanctuary, Wednesday, is to be returned to Madhya Pradesh. The decision follows widespread violent protests in the area in the wake of the woman’s death.
According to reports, Divisional Forest Officer SMDT Raheman and Angul SP Mitrabhanu Mohapatra Thursday gave this assurance to protesters. The duo said letters have been dispatched to the Centre and to the authorities of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and that a team will tranquilise and transport the tigress to the Bandhavgarh Reserve in Madhya Pradesh September 15.
On Wednesday, Sundari had attacked and killed Kailashi Garnaik, a resident of Hatibari, while she was taking bath in a pond there. The incident sparked violent protests by the villagers. They went on a rampage and set fire to beat houses of Tikarapada forest range, the Tikarapada forest office, forest bungalow, ranger’s residence, forest vehicles and boats.
Tension prevailed and boiled over again with villagers ransacking the Pampasar forest office and Purunakote forest range office and sealed all entry points to the sanctuary. They also blocked all roads in the area by burning tyres.