Women operatives held with Rs 25 lakh cash

Poaching in Kaziranga

Tiger ils, weapons seized; More embarrassment for Forest minister as KNP authorities fail to make arrangements for her spot visit

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, June 10: Two women operatives of a poaching network were arrested with Rs 25 lakh cash at Jakhalabandha while two barrel guns and ten tiger ils were found buried at the residence of a local at Geleky near Kaziranga in separate operations by security agencies in the last 24 hours.

Police said the two women operatives - identified as Kazi Rongpharpi (45) and Kajong Terangpi (50) - were close aides of wanted rhino poacher Hemsing Kramsa.

"The two women got the cash from a Hindi-speaking lady at Dimapur. They were caught as they got down from a bus at jan-Kuthori near Jakhalabandha. Seven rounds of .303 rifle were also found from their possession. We are investigating if they had come for a deal," a police official said. The accused hail Bibia Krogaon village of Karbi Anglong.

In another operation, police dug out ten tiger ils from the compound of the residence of one Golap Talukdar of Geleky near Kaziranga. Two barrel guns were also seized from his house.

Meanwhile, in a startling revelation, police today said that Ranuj Pegu, a suspected poacher arrested on Wednesday night, was actually bbed from the house of a forest guard, identified as Anil Barua. Barua is deployed in the Kohora range of the park.

On the other hand, Forest minister Pramila Rani Brahma faced another embarrassing situation today when the tiol park authorities failed to make arrangements to take her to the spot where a female rhino was killed on Tuesday.

The rhino was killed on Tuesday afternoon, during the Forest minister's presence in the park.

Brahma, who concluded her two-day visit to the park on Wednesday, rushed to the park again today after the carcass of the rhino killed on Tuesday was recovered after 48 hours.

A visibly angry Brahma charged the park director and called for an explation as to why no arrangements were made to take her to the spot even though the park authorities had received prior information about her visit.

"I have seen…there is lack of sincerity among the people here. I wanted to see the spot where the rhino was killed, but they could not take me. Why it took 48 hours to recover the carcass?" she told reporters later.

Stating that "negligence was apparent" on the part of some officials, the Forest minister said action would be taken after the inquiry report is submitted to her.