Bhubaneswar, July 4: The Forest Department recently suspended two officials on charges of dereliction of duty following the discovery of a decomposed elephant carcass in the reserve forest of Jarapada range in Angul district.

Sources indicate that the elephant's body was found about eight days ago, prompting an investigation to determine the cause of death. The investigation implicated a forester and a forest guard, leading to their suspension. Additionally, police arrested a villager from Rodsinga for allegedly stealing the elephant's tusks, which were later recovered from the poacher.

The elephant's death is believed to have occurred over a month ago, as its body was severely decayed. On June 28, the mutilated remains were discovered in the Mankadakanda nullah of the Jarapada forest range.

Concerned by the incident, Angul Regional Chief Conservator of Forest Sudhansu Sekhar Khara and DFO Nitish Kumar, along with a team from Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology, visited the site and initiated a thorough investigation, sources said.

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