Two arrested for setting jungles on fire in Mayurbhanj district

Thakurmunda: Thakurmunda forest department arrested two persons for setting jungles on fire in Kaliajiani reserve forest-1 under Thakurmunda range of Karanjia forest division in Mayurbhanj district Friday night.

The accused have been identified as Bhuteshwar Naik and Phatu Dandapat of Talapada village. They were produced in a local court Saturday and sent to judicial custody as their bail pleas were rejected.

According to the Forest Department, forester Nalinikant Mohanta, forest guards Kishore Patra and Sachhidananda Behera and some forest department staff led by Thakurmunda range officer Kishore Kumar Panigrahi were on patrol Friday night.

At the same time, Bhuteshwar and Phatu were cooking food inside the jungle, as a part of their local tradition associated with a ritual. While preparing food, they set some dried leaves on fire. And the fire subsequently spread rapidly.

Seeing the flame, the patrolling team rushed to the spot and nabbed the duo. The Forest Department officials managed to douse the flame completely.

PNN