Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan on Thursday ordered an immediate probe into the incidents of poaching of rhinos at the Kaziranga forest in Assam by a team from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and set a one-week deadline for the completion of the investigations.
The Ministry constituted a new committee comprising C Behra, Regional Deputy Director, Eastern Region, Kolkata; AK Jha, Assistant Director (Intelligence), BHQ, Delhi; L Kuruvilla, Assistant Director, SR, Chennai; and KK Sarma, Wildlife Inspector, NR, Delhi.
The team will immediately reach the spot to start investigations. It will also seek assistance from the local agencies in detailed investigation of the case and conduct inter-agency coordination to trace the culprits and bust the networks involved. Jayanthi also wrote to Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi seeking all assistance in this regard and to prevent future incidents.
"I am shocked and distressed by the callous exploitation by unscrupulous poachers of the natural disaster of floods and of helpless animals fleeing to find safe shelter. I am determined to ensure that these criminals are brought to justice and that such incidents do not recur in future, said the Minister. The recent floods in Kaziranga National Park left about 600 animals dead.
