NEWSLINKS US EDITION SOUTH ASIA COLUMNISTS DIARY SPECIALS INTERVIEWS CAPITAL BUZZ REDIFF POLL THE STATES ELECTIONS ARCHIVES US ARCHIVES SEARCH REDIFF
Onkar Singh in New Delhi
Director General of Uttaranchal Police A K Saran has ruled out any connection between the killing of the two elephants in Rajaji Park last week and the poaching of five tuskers in the Jim Corbett National Park early this year.
Speaking to rediff.com on Tuesday from his residence in Dehradun, Saran said he suspected the involvement of 'local elements' in the killing of the elephants.
"The two tuskers were killed last week by poachers and their tusks were taken away. We suspect the involvement of the Gujjar community in the incident," he said.
When asked if it was the same gang that had killed five tuskers in the Jim Corbett National park early this year, Saran said the two incidents were poles apart.
He blamed the late receipt of information from the forest guards as the basic reason behind the police failing to stop the increased poaching activity.
"The problem lies with late receipt of information. Since the police have no presence of its own in the forest area, it has to depend to a large extent on the information coming from the forest guards. The information in the present incident came almost a week after the poachers had killed the tuskers," he lamented.
According to him five platoons of Uttaranchal armed police have been combing the areas surrounding the place of the incident with the help of the forest guards.
"Deputy inspector general L P Misra and superintendent of police of Tehri district Abhinav Kumar are personally supervising the investigations. The tuskers were killed near Kunnau, the forest range close to Rishikesh," he said.
Back to top
Tell us what you think of this report
Call India
