GUWAHATI: A Manipur-based shooter was hired by a gang of poachers to kill two rhinos in Kaziranga National Park and Project Tiger (KNPTR), Assam in the last week.
This was revealed following the arrest of a poacher who was arrested by Bokakhat police in connection with the killing of two rhinos inside the park on January 21.
The arrested poacher has been identified as Jogu Pegu (35), son of Balidhar Pegu, a resident of Borbali Gaon under Kamargaon police station of Golaghat district.
Jogu Pegu has been produced before the court and he is on a seven-day police remand.
The gang killed two rhinos in the National Park. The carcass of a female rhino was recovered near Maklong Forest Camp under the Agaratoli Forest Range of Kaziranga National Park on January 22.
The carcass of the second rhino was found near Mohmara Forest Camp on Friday (January 26) based on the confessional statement of Jogu Pegu.
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Along with the Manipur-based shooter, two other poachers Haren Kaman and Robin Pegu are still reportedly absconding.
Briefing the incident, Golaghat district superintendent of police Rajen Singh said: “The shooter from Manipur
was hired by a group of six persons and brought to Borbali village for the crime. He hails from the Senapati district of Manipur. He came to Churachandpur on January 15 from where he reached Aizwal and then came to Silchar and finally reached Dimapur on January 17. He was brought from Dimapur by one Robin Pegu and reached Dergaon by public bus on January 19. The shooter finally reached Kamargaon on January 20,” Singh said.
Police are conducting raids in various places to trace this poacher. But till now no arrest has been made.
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“He stayed at Jagu Pegu’s house. Both Jogu Pegu and the poacher went to Aphala Gaon by motorcycle on January 20. They kept the bike at Haren Kaman’s house in the village and entered Kaziranga National Park,” Singh said.
“They killed the two rhinos inside the park with an AK-47. They returned from the spot on January 21 at 5 am with a big bag in their hand and returned to Jogu Pegu’s house. Accompanied by Robin Pegu, the shooter went to Dimapur by bus from Dergaon on January 21,” the SP said.
“We got a report from local villagers that Haren Kaman has an AK-47 rifle, which was used in the killing of the two animals. We recovered the AK-47 Rifle from Jogu Pegu’s house along with one magazine and 13 rounds of ammunition,” Singh also said.
Following an FIR lodged by the forest department, a case bearing number 16/2024 under sections 120-B, 379, of IPC read with section 51 of Wildlife (Protection) Assam Amendment Act,2009, read with section 25(1A)/27 of the Arms Act was registered in Bokakhar police station. The state forest department also registered a forest offence report number ER/01 of 2024 on January 22 in this connection.
“Immediately after receipt of information a joint team of police and forest personnel visited the site and started investigation. Prior to the poaching, Jagu Pegu was spotted with a Manipuri poacher in a motorcycle near Nikon Ghat,” the SP said.
Jogu Pegu confessed to the crime which led to the recovery of the rhino horn that was buried in his backyard.
The AK-47 rifle which was used in the crime was kept hidden at the house of Haren Kaman of No 1 Aphala Gaon and the horn was kept hidden in his house.
According to the confessional statement of Jogu Pegu, one Robin Pegu from Dhakuakhana in Lakhimpur district was the mastermind behind the rhino killing. Robin Pegu was earlier arrested in a rhino poaching case in Karbi Anglong.
“The shooter from Manipur killed the rhino and Jagu Pegu cut the horn with an axe. He informed us that two rhinos were killed by them. The second carcass was recovered near Mohmara Forest Camp on January 26.
“Attempts are also going to recover the second horn. And to arrest all culprits,” the SP further said.
The SP appealed to the public to share information related to the three poachers. “The identity of such persons will be kept secret and will be suitably awarded,” the SP added.
Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve have a population of over 2,613 greater one-horned rhinos, hence making it the world’s largest population in the world.
In the last one year, Kaziranga National Park frontline was able to detect and recover 79 rhino carcasses with horns intact that had died due to natural causes such as old age and/or floods.
On January 21 the poachers were able to take advantage of the reduced water levels in the Brahmaputra and were likely to have sneaked in with a deadly AK Rifle series weapon to strike not once but twice! and to kill two rhinos almost on the same day under the Eastern Range Agaratoli.
The rhino carcass with the horn removed was detected in the early morning of January 22, the detection of the second rhino carcass within a kilometre distance was detected by the elephant patrol party on January 26th.
The multiple killing of rhinos on a single day has taken everyone by surprise as this was unexpected and the poachers have improvised.
The Park authorities have further strategized and intensified their surveillance and patrolling in the park to counter the improvised method of poaching rhinos with AK rifles.