Bhubaneswar: Taking the Dhenkanal Kamalanga elephant electrocution case in which at least seven jumbos were killed yesterday, CM Naveen Patnaik today ordered for a probe by Odisha Crime Branch into the incident.
Expressing his grief on the incident, Naveen assured for stringent action against those found guilty in the incident following the completion of the enquiry.
Notably, at least seven elephants separated from a herd of 13 wild pachyderms which sneaked into the Kamalanga village under Motanga police limits in the wee hours yesterday died after unknowingly touching a sagged 11KV electric wire near a nullah. The carcasses of the jumbos were spotted by the villagers in the morning.
Later, Forest & Environment, and the Energy departments dismissed one official and suspended six others for dereliction of duties. While three officials each from the Forest department and CESU were suspended, the junior manager of CESU Meramundali section was dismissed following the incident.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) also alleged that the Dhenkanal DFO had written to the Central Electricity Supply Utility of Odisha (CESU) last year to rectify the sagging 11 KV lines which took the lives of the jumbos.
Also Read: At least 7 wild elephants electrocuted in Dhenkanal
Kalinga AI