GUWAHATI, August 31: One Assam Police personnel was taken into custody by forest personnel in Kaziranga National Park (KNP) in Assam in the wake of a bus belonging to 9th Assam Police Battalion hitting a flood-hit deer on the highway through the Park on Tuesday and then carrying it in the bus illegally in violation of Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Act, 1972.
Sources in the KNP informed that the Assam Police Battalion bus (AS-30 3822) hit the flood-hit deer on the highway at Harmoti under Bagori Range of the Park and took the injured animal inside the bus. Locals who witnessed the illegal act informed the forest staff and the bus was intercepted at Malani Forest Camp area by the forest staff on duty and rescued the injured animal from illegal confinement by the cops including the driver of the bus.
The forest personnel apprehended driver of the bus Hemanta Handique who is a personnel of Assam Police and registered a case under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and further investigation is on.
The bus was empty as it was returning from the Assam Police Training College at Dergaon after dropping police personnel there.
It may be mentioned that KNP authority in coordination of Assam Police and volunteers have geared up vigil along the national highway through the flood-hit KNP to regulate the speed of vehicles so that flood-it animals crossing the highway on search of highlands for shelter are not run over.
(By Bijay Sankar Bora)