Bhubaneswar, Jan 22: The mysterious disappearance and death of an elephant in Kandhamal district took a dramatic turn on Wednesday after forest officials recovered its buried body parts near the village of a suspended forest ranger, raising serious questions and intensifying the investigation.

According to reports, the Forest Department had suspended Ranger Binaya Kumar Bisi on Tuesday in connection with the death of an elephant in the Munduti forest area and the alleged disappearance of its carcass. Despite confirmation of the elephant’s death earlier, officials were unable to trace the body, prompting the Baliguda Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) to order a detailed probe into the incident.

On Wednesday, a joint task force, led by Baliguda DFO Ghanashyam Mohanta and Tumudibandh Range Officer Kalicharan Behera, conducted a search operation in the Tahansir area of Kesinga, which is the native village of the suspended ranger. During the operation, officials unearthed elephant body parts buried at a depth of nearly seven feet.

The remains were found in a fragmented condition, including portions of the trunk, neck, legs and head. Notably, the recovery site is located near a dam close to the residence of Binaya Bisi. Forest officials suspect that the elephant was cut into pieces and buried to conceal evidence. Further investigation is underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident and fix accountability.

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