10 held for poaching, selling wild boar meat

Keonjhar: Forest officials in the district arrested 10 people for allegedly poaching and selling wild boar meat. Acting on a tip-off, the forest department intercepted a vehicle in Sudung forest under Banspal block, where the accused were reportedly en route to sell the meat.Officials seized around 8 kg of wild boar meat, including severed legs, from the vehicle, besides a motorcycle used in the operation. The accused later confessed to killing 12 wild boars using traps in the forest, said divisional forest officer Dhanraj H D, who confirmed the arrests late Monday night.The operation was carried out by two teams led by Bhuyan Juang Pidha range officer Nayan Kant Sahu, Banspal forester Jyotirmayi Patnaik, and forest guards Neelam Mahanat, Milirani Das and Chandrakant Mahanat.

The teams also recovered two tanks and traps used in the hunt.The arrested individuals have been identified as Demiya Dehuri (32), Maheshwar Naik (40), Jayadhara Naik (28), Jogi Giri (19), Kumbhar Dehuri (20), Prashant Pambam (19), Baniala Dehuri (24), Sagar Maharana (22), Kalakar Dehuri (25) and Rout Dehuri (62) — all residents of Sudung village under Nayakot police station.