GUWAHATI, May 2 – Setting all speculations at rest, the State Government today decided to hand over the cases of recent rhino poaching in the Kaziranga National Park (KNP) and other places to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Official sources here said that announcing this, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that the decision was taken after careful consideration of the frequency of the incidents of rhino poaching.
The Government has viewed the recent incidents of poaching of rhinos at the KNP and other places of the State very seriously and has decided to move the CBI for probe into the incidents, said the sources quoting the Chief Minister.
Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain, who had also requested the Chief Minister to hand over the cases of rhino poaching to the CBI for investigation, has welcomed the decision of the Chief Minister, said the sources.
In the wake of poaching of rhinos in the KNP on January 8 and 19 last and February 5 last, the Forest Minister, through a letter to the Chief Minister on February 5, had expressed the apprehension that ‘some sort of heinous conspiracy’ was behind these incidents of rhino poaching. To reveal the fact, he requested the Chief Minister to hand over the cases to the CBI for a thorough inquiry.
It may be recalled that as many as five rhinos were killed by the poachers during the recent time in the KNP and Orang National Park. Several organisations, including the All Assam Students’ Union have also been demanding CBI probe into the incidents.
