Two Hula party members have been arrested for killing the elephant with a fire-tipped iron spear. The two — Ajay Mahata, a resident of Rajabasa in Jhargram and Dipak Mahata of Lauriyadum – were produced in a local court on Wednesday. The court sent them to police custody for another six days.
“We held a meeting on Tuesday over this serious issue. Hula party members need to be trained to know how to properly manage elephants,” said state Forest Minister Birbaha Hansda on Wednesday.
“We are also planning to introduce a uniform for them so that they are distinctly identified in crowds. We are also planning medical and life insurance for the members. Also, body cameras will be provided to forest officials, which will enable us to know what happens during their drives,” said Hansda, who is facing ire of the locals for the incident.
Hula party members are local youths paid by the state government to ward off elephants from human-populated areas. Sources in the forest department said that Hula party members don’t receive regular training and are paid a daily allowance of Rs 350.
On August 15, officials of the Forest Department roped in a team of Hula party to drive away the herd, comprising two calves, that took shelter on a vacant parcel of land near Jhargram Raj College after straying into the town.
While trying to drive away the herd of elephants, Hula members allegedly hit a pregnant elephant with a fire-tipped spear, killing it, prompting protests by locals and the Kurmi Samaj against the state government for allegedly mishandling the situation.
Both the police and the Forest Department have initiated legal proceedings in the incident.
While the Department has filed a case under Section 9/51 of the Wildlife Protection Act relating to hunting, the local police have registered a case under Section 325 of the BNS relating to cruelty to animals.
“We will also take action against locals who came within 500 metres of the herd as the drive to evict the herd of elephants was going on,” the minister said.
“One thing we will do is make sure that the guilty will be punished. Two persons have been arrested by the forest department under the Wildlife Protection Act. It was not easy to arrest them since there was very little evidence. But we finally arrested them,” Divisional Forest Officer Umar Imam told The Indian Express.
Superintendent of Police (Jhragram) Arijit Sinha said, “The court remanded the two accused to police custody for six days. The accused persons have been identified as Ajay Mahata, resident of Rajabasa, Jhargram and Dipak Mahata, who lives in Lauriyadum, Jhargram. The forest department has also filed its own case, and we too have registered another FIR.”
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