Replacement of seized horn: Sonitpur DC orders magisterial inquiry

From a Correspondent

Tezpur, Feb 4: Sonitpur Deputy Commissioner Manoj Deka  has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the alleged seized horn change in the police station at Dhekiajuli in Sonitpur district  in April last year .

A two-member committee comprising magistrates has been constituted by the Deputy Commissioner for detailed inquiry into the matter which is under investigation.  Further, Deputy Commissioner of Sonitpur, while talking to this correspondent on Saturday, said that a committee had been set up for investigating the matter headed by additiol magistrate Parag Moni Mahanta and additiol assistant magistrate Swapnil Tembre and the report would be submitted after thorough scrutiny.

According to sources, the rhino horn was seized by the Dhekiajuli police from a six-member group from Dhekiajuli town on April 16 from an Alto car after it had an accident.  The Dhekiajuli police led by Assistant Sub Inspector Ranjit Saikia seized a rhino horn weighing 1.214 kg  from the car bearing  number AS-12 J -69777  and arrested six persons  and later they were identified as Birsa Sanga hailing from Lamabari Tea Estate of Mazbat in Udalguri district, Daneswar Isleary from Rauta gate, Mazbat , Mangal Chandra Brahma  from harbari in Mazbat, Bogiram Orang  from Dhekiajuli, Boloram Basumatary from Dhekiajuli  and Kanta Kumar Doimari under Syamalangsu police station in Karbi Anglong .

 Later, the Dhekiajuli   PS was requested to hand over the horn to the forest department but it was not done and the Dhekiajuli   PS kept the horn under their custody for 50 days without sending it for forensic test. When the Forest Department came to collect the horn, it was found that the origil horn had been replaced with a duplicate one, said sources.