OUR CORRESPONDENT
DIGBOI: The Forest Department has launched a high-level, time-bound investigation after miscreants brutally chopped off two ivory tusks of an elephant in the Lakhipathar area under the Digboi forest division in Assam's Tinsukia district on February 14. The incident has prompted intensified enforcement action, with investigators now pursuing multiple leads, including the possible involvement of an organized wildlife trafficking network.
According to Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Sandeep Kumar, an offence has been formally registered vide OR No. LKP/02 of 2026-27 dated April 16, 2026, under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. He stated that the department has initiated swift legal and field-level action to ensure the identification and arrest of those responsible.
"The investigation is underway on priority, and all possible angles are being examined to ensure that the culprits are identified and brought to justice at the earliest," PCCF Kumar said.
An official under the Digboi forest division informed on Saturday afternoon that an experienced forester has been entrusted with the investigation, citing his proven track record in cracking a similar case earlier, which led to arrests and recovery of wildlife contraband.
Forest sources acknowledged that the Digboi division has a history of elephant poaching, illegal transportation, and ivory smuggling cases. Investigators are now examining whether the present incident is linked to earlier networks or a revived racket involving forged documentation and illegal wildlife transport routes.