Berhampur: : Forest officials on Thursday arrested four suspected poachers from Baliguda forest division of Kotgarh wildlife sanctuary in Kandhamal, along with seizure of four country-made guns and huge amount of gunpowder.The accused were identified as Lutasingh Muthamajhi (35), Jitu Majhi (21), Finas Malik (30) and Rajendra Majhi (45), all residents of Bangeri village under Tumudibandh police station limits. Besides gun and gunpowder, several GI wires, live cartridges, reel crackers and headlights were seized from their possession, officials said.Baliguda divisional forest officer (DFO) Ghanashyam Mahanta, said patrolling forest staff nabbed the accused while trying to set fire inside Kotagarh wildlife sanctuary inside the sanctuary area two days ago. “Their sole purpose to set fire in the sanctuary area was to hunt wild animals,” he said. tnn “During interrogation, the accused could not give satisfactory replies as to why they had entered the sanctuary area with firearms at night. Hence, all of them were booked under the Wildlife Act and forwarded to court,” said Manoranjan Bagh, assistant conservator of forests (ACF) Baliguda.He said patrolling was intensified in the sanctuary area to prevent forest fires and to prevent poaching of wild animals. Leopards, elephants, barking deer, sambar are among significant species of animals in around 400-sqkm landscape.
