Chennai

In this year alone, the CBI has taken over six incidents of suspected elephant poaching in Tamil Nadu in the last one decade, based on an order from the High Court. The latest case is the seventh incident of suspected poaching. 

In the FIR registered by the special crimes, CBI, on Wednesday, based on a complaint from forest range official D Senthil Kumar from Sirumugai forest range office in Mettupalayam, the investigation agency cited one P Murugesan of Mettupalayam as the key suspect. 

Murugesan had told forest officials that he had built electric fences to prevent wild animals from getting into his farm, which is near the reserved forest area. The death of the elephant occurred on the night of November 17, 2020. The act by the accused person is against the Wild Life Act. 

Earlier this year, the Madurai bench of Madras High Court, while ordering a CBI inquiry into the suspected poaching quoted the report of Wildlife Crime Control Division in which it was alleged that the poaching kingpin ‘Eagle’ Rajan’s diary showed supply of ivory artefacts to high profile individuals across the country, including a well-known industrialist from Chennai.

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