Bhopal. The Forest Department has taken major action on Friday in the case of shooting death of 19 month old cub KNG 22 of the female cheetah Nirva in the Kuno National Park of Madhya Pradesh.
Gwalior CCF has suspended four forest personnel after serious negligence in the protection and monitoring (tracking) of cheetah came to light. At the same time, STF has started investigating the case by taking three suspects into custody and interrogating them.
It is noteworthy that on October 25, a 19-month-old male cub of the female cheetah Nirva, KNG 22, was found in a seriously injured condition in the Vijaypur forest range outside the Kuno National Park.
He was taken to Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Sciences University, Jabalpur. There, five gun pellets were removed from his body after CT scan and emergency operation, but he could not be saved.
He died during treatment on October 27. After this, the Forest Department formed STF for investigation. In this case, it has come to light that three drops of leopard’s blood were found in Pahargarh area.
The Forest Department has considered this as serious negligence in monitoring and tracking the cheetah. On this basis, fixing the responsibility of the concerned forest personnel, suspension action has been taken against four forest personnel.
CCF Uttam Kumar Sharma suspended four forest personnel on Friday. These include two rangers, one deputy ranger and one beat guard.
The suspended employees include Ranger Akash Tomar of Pahargarh, Morena Forest Division, Deputy Ranger Kirti Kumar Shandilya posted at Kanhar of Morena Forest Division, Beat Guard Dinesh Maraiya of Kalakhet of Morena Forest Division and Ranger Jahar Singh Gaur posted at Vijaypur East of Sheopur.
Along with the STF team, forest and police teams of Kuno Forest Division, Sheopur-Morena and Gwalior are engaged in the investigation along with the dog squad. On Friday, STF has detained three suspects in the case and they are being interrogated.
The investigating agency is also busy searching for the weapon used in the crime. At present the investigation of the case is going on as the gun has not been recovered.