Two Kaziranga Forest Personnel Arrested for Illegal Possession of Rhino Horn

KAZIRANGA: Two forest personnel of Assam's Kaziranga National Park have been arrested on Sunday after a broken piece of rhino horn was allegedly recovered from their ownership. An authority said that it has not been confirmed if the two have any if with poachers.

The two personnel were recognized as Sonia Orang (Forest Guard) and Dipen Kumar Nath (Home Guard), who were considered responsible for the act and taken into custody.

The forest minister's PRO said in an explanation that the authorities of the national park informed that a forest guard and a home guard were caught by the Bagori range official. He said that the two personnel were captured regarding illicit possession of a wildlife trophy, that is, the broken piece of rhino horn.

The authority further said that a case has been registered against them and an investigation is on.

The Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve authority took to Twitter and said that two staff (Sri Sonia Orang, woods watchman and Sri Dipen Kumar Nath, Home Guard) were captured by FRO Bagori regarding illicit ownership of Wildlife Trophy (Broken piece of Rhino Horn). Case is enrolled and investigation is on.

According to the sources, under the leadership of Ramesh Kumar Gogoi, the divisional forest officer (DFO) of Kaziranga National Park, the entire process was carried out. Preceding this, last year, various rhino horns, found in the national park, were deposited by these two arrested personnel pair to the park authorities. Nonetheless, they figured out how to keep a piece of such horns and were in search of rhino horn dealers. In any case, they couldn't exchange this piece of rhino horn as coronavirus limitations were declared in Assam.

Of late, it became exposed that a disagreement occurred between the two personnel which prompted the disclosure of the act that they committed and the DFO had the option to confine them alongside the broken piece of the rhino horn. Under the Wildlife Protection Act, a case has been enrolled and DFO Gogoi has started an investigation as to this matter.

Last Sunday, a forest department personnel has been suspended for an "unwanted firing" at a Royal Bengal tiger in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve a couple of days ago. An authority release stated that an inquiry directed by the Assistance Conservator of Forests into the incident revealed that the firing was ridiculous based on which the staff concerned was suspended.

Also Read: Kaziranga Park Forest Official Suspended for Firing on Royal Bengal Tiger

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