TN CB-CID Takes Over Investigation of Dharmapuri Elephant Poaching and Death of Accused

Chennai, April 7 (NationPress) The Director General of Police (DGP) of Tamil Nadu has handed over the investigation of a prominent elephant poaching case and the questionable death of a significant accused in custody to the Crime Branch-Criminal Investigation Department (CB-CID), due to the critical nature of the allegations and escalating public concern.

The case originated on March 1, when officials from the Tamil Nadu Forest Department stumbled upon a mutilated and burned carcass of an elephant in the Neruppur Forest Range, within the limits of the Eriyur Police Station in Pennagaram Taluk, Dharmapuri district. Authorities believe the animal was killed for its tusks, leading the Forest Department to file a case under the pertinent sections of the Wildlife Protection Act.

In the course of the investigation, forest officials captured a suspect, G. Senthil (28), from Kongarapatti village on March 17. However, Senthil allegedly fled into the forest while still handcuffed. Four additional suspects were detained on March 19 and subsequently placed in judicial custody. On the same day, a separate case was initiated against Senthil for assaulting officials and escaping custody.

On April 3, the Forest Department was alerted about a decomposed male body located in the Sarakkadu forest area near Kongarapatti village. Following a complaint lodged by the Village Administrative Officer (VAO) of Sunjalnatham, a case of suspicious death was registered on April 4. The body was later identified as Senthil's, inciting allegations of foul play from his family.

Given the severity of the situation, which includes suspected connections between illegal wildlife trafficking and a potential custodial death, the DGP's office referred both cases to the CB-CID for a thorough and unbiased investigation.

In an official statement, the DGP's office remarked: “This decision guarantees an impartial probe into all aspects, including the poaching syndicate and the circumstances surrounding Senthil's death.”

This incident has also evoked strong political responses.

On Monday (April 7), Dr S. Ramadoss, founder-leader of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), representing the influential Vanniyar community, released a statement calling for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into Senthil's death. He claimed that the forest department may have subjected Senthil to torture during interrogation.

Dr Ramadoss mentioned that Senthil, along with his father Govindaraj and brother Sakthi, was taken into custody for questioning on March 17. When the family did not receive any updates about their status, they lodged a complaint with the Superintendent of Police in Dharmapuri. While Sakthi was eventually released, Govindaraj was arrested for his alleged involvement in the poaching case. However, Senthil's whereabouts remained unknown until April 3, when his decomposed body was found.

Forest officials asserted that Senthil escaped custody and subsequently died by suicide.

Dr. Ramadoss challenged this account, citing numerous inconsistencies in the department's story. “Why didn’t the forest department provide any information to the family for three days?” he questioned. “What prevented individuals from entering the Kongarapatti forest area between March 18 and April 4?”

He further alleged that the department deliberately delayed the reporting of the body until it had decomposed, possibly to obscure the cause of death. “There were no handcuffs on him when the body was discovered. If he ran into the forest, how could he have obtained a weapon to take his own life?” Ramadoss queried.

He suggested that Senthil might have possessed incriminating information about certain forest officials and that he was murdered to prevent him from disclosing those secrets. The PMK leader demanded the case be transferred to the CBI and urged the government to grant Rs 50 lakh compensation to Senthil’s family.