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| Indian Minister for Environment and Forest Jayanthi Natrajan [File Photo] |
New Delhi: Indian Minister for Environment and
Forests, Jayanthi Natarajan has ordered that an immediate investigation be
conducted into this incident by a team from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau.
She has desired that the investigation should be completed within one week, and
the perpetrators brought to justice.
The Minister has also written to Assam
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi asking for all assistance in this regard and to
prevent future incidents.
The Minister said “I am shocked and distressed by the callous exploitation by
unscrupulous poachers of the natural disaster of floods and of helpless animals
fleeing to find safe shelter. I am determined to ensure that these criminals
are brought to justice and that such incidents do not recur in future”.
In view of the reports of poaching of rhino horn as a result of poachers
targeting rhinos fleeing the flooded areas of Kaziranga National Park requiring
immediate action, the Ministry of Environment & Forests has constituted a
team of officers to inquire into the reported killings of Rhinos by poachers in
Assam.
The team consists of C. Behra, Regional
Deputy Director, Eastern Region, Kolkata; A.K. Jha, Assistant Director
(Intelligence), BHQ, Delhi; L. Kuruvilla, Assistant Director, SR, Chennai; and K.K.
Sarma, Wildlife Inspector, NR, Delhi.
The team will immediately reach the spot to start investigations. The team will
also seek assistance from the local agencies in detailed investigation of the
case and conduct inter-agency coordination to trace the culprits and bust the
networks involved.