Bhopal: Two wildlife officials accused of secretly burning a tiger carcass in Balaghat district are on the run. The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department has announced a reward of ₹5,000 each for information leading to their arrest.
Officials Named in Carcass Destruction Case
According to the State Tiger Strike Force, Forest Guard Himanshu Ghormare and Forest Ranger Assistant Tikaram Hanote are the prime accused. The two allegedly discovered the carcass near the Potutola Canal drain but failed to inform their seniors. Instead, they reportedly burnt the carcass and dumped the remains in the drain.
The official notice states the case involves “illegal burning and destruction of a wild tiger’s carcass without competent authority’s approval, followed by disposal of burnt remains into a drain.” Both accused remain absconding despite repeated summons.
Case Triggered by Leaked Photographs
The incident came to light on August 2 after photographs of burnt remains surfaced on a WhatsApp group of senior IFS officers. The images raised alarm across the state’s forest administration. Investigations later revealed that the carcass had been discovered 10–12 days earlier but was concealed and destroyed by the accused.
Six other beat staff linked to the incident have already been arrested. Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey, who alerted officials, called it a case of gross negligence as the main accused remain untraceable.
Senior Officials Slam Negligence
Initially, officials claimed the tiger had died a natural death. However, senior authorities sharply criticised the cover-up. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Admin-1) Vivek Jain wrote to Balaghat DFO Adhar Gupta, stating the incident reflected “gross negligence and indiscipline” in supervisory duties.
The letter added that the DFO failed to exercise control over subordinates and did not inform higher offices in time. The State Tiger Strike Force has informed the police, Special Task Force, Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, and other agencies about the absconding officials. Authorities have assured confidentiality for informants providing credible leads.
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