Guwahati: A government servant was among two persons who have been arrested by Assam Police in connection with recent incidents of poaching of one-horned rhinos in Kaziranga National Park (KNP).
Police from Jakhalabandha police station in Nagaon district of Assam have arrested two persons namely Nitul Hazarika and Sahid Ali in connection with killing of three rhinos in Kaziranga National Park on November 2 and 4 last. Nitul Hazarika is a government employee engaged at Kaliabor Sub-Division court in Nagaon district.
Police claimed that both of them had connived with poachers from Manipur to facilitate killing of rhinos in Kaziranga Park on November 2 and 4. The accused had shared information about movement of police patrol and location of forest guards’ camps with the poachers from Manipur who have also been nabbed by Assam police from Nagaland.
Meanwhile, Assam Forest Minister Promila Rani Brahma has sounded alarmed over the poachers using sophisticated weapons like Ak-47 assault rifle to kill rhinos in Kaziranga where forest guards are armed with vintage .303 rifle, shot guns and a few SLRs.
The forest minister said it had become very tough for the forest personnel in Kaziranga Park to thwart the challenge posed by poachers armed with sophisticated weapons. The minister also called for cooperation from villagers living in fringes of the national park and provide information in case movements of poachers are noticed by them.
