Bhubaneswar: In a joint operation conducted by the Special Task Force (STF) of the Crime Branch, Forest Department officials of Bamara Forest Division, and local police, a pangolin was rescued following a raid near the Railway crossing between Bada-Dumbermunda-Nuapada Road under Govindapur police station’s limits in Sambalpur district on Wednesday.
The STF successfully apprehended two wildlife criminals identified as Ichhadhar Naik (26) and Sachin Kumar Pandey (28) during the operation. Alongside the arrests, authorities also seized a car along with other incriminating materials from the possession of the accused.
An official press release stated that a case has been registered against the accused individuals under section 379/411/120(B) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) read with section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The arrested individuals are slated to be forwarded to the SDJM Court in Kuchinda. Additionally, the rescued pangolin has been handed over to the Forest Range Officer, Bamara of Sambalpur district for safe custody.
The Indian pangolin, also known as the thick-tailed pangolin or scaly anteater, holds the colloquial name ‘bajrakapta’ in Odia. This solitary, shy, slow-moving, and nocturnal mammal is a schedule-I protected animal under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Offences related to Schedule-I protected animals warrant the highest penalties under the law.
