Golaghat: Two senior officials of Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) in Golaghat, Assam were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly trying to conceal the death of a female elephant on the refinery premises.
Chief Manager Ujjal Nayan Handique and Senior Manager Bedanga Kashyap were taken into custody following widespread outrage over the discovery of the elephant’s buried remains near Kaziranga National Park on July 19.
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The duo is accused of failing to inform forest authorities about the incident and attempting to cover up the elephant’s electrocution.
The animal is believed to have come in contact with a live wire in the NRL Township.
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Forest officials registered a case under the Wildlife Protection Act and are investigating the matter as a wildlife crime.
A post-mortem examination was conducted to determine the exact cause of death.
Environmentalists have condemned the incident and demanded strict action against those responsible.