The villagers of Puruna Deogaon in the Karanjia forest division of Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district allegedly detained a forester and several contract workers of the Forest Department on Wednesday due to the problem of crops being destroyed by elephants in the area.
The villagers of Puruna Deogaon in the Karanjia forest division of Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district allegedly detained a forester and several contract workers of the Forest Department on Wednesday due to the problem of crops being destroyed by elephants in the area.
Upon learning of a herd of roving elephants, sources said that Dari Forester Parshuram Besra and eight other department employees travelled to a nearby forest on Tuesday night.
They then ran across the villagers, who blamed them for the elephant threat in the area.
The neighbourhood complained that the police were not doing enough to fend off the jumbos, and they added that the department was delaying the payment of compensation in cases where the animals had damaged property. Additionally, they pushed for the forester’s transfer.
After being told, a Dudhiani Ranger went to the location and spoke with the inhabitants. The villagers, however, asserted that they would only release the prisoners after receiving the Ranger’s assurances regarding their demands.
Prasanta Patnaik 
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