(IN): Forest pellets fell poacher- Two smugglers surrender

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http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090123/jsp/siliguri/story_10427238.jsp

Forest pellets fell poacher

- Two smugglers surrenderOUR CORRESPONDENT

 

*Alipurduar, Jan. 22:* A poacher, who was injured by pellets fired from a

forest muzzleloader while trying to flee, died on way to hospital last

night. Two others of the same gang who were also hurt by the splinters

surrendered this morning.

 

The gang of 10 smugglers had entered Compartment-II of New Land beat of Buxa

Tiger Reserve (East), 65km from here, around 5pm yesterday.

 

The sound of a tree being hacked had prompted a team of five on-duty forest

employees to investigate. They spotted the gang and challenged them. The

timber thieves, who are also smugglers in animal parts, fled while hurling

stones at the foresters.

 

The forest employees followed. The gang then turned around and first started

shooting arrows and then firing in the air from an improvised firearm.

 

" We fired back and pellets from the muzzleloader hit Suroj Kharia and he

fell to the ground. The others fled. The entire operation lasted for around

20 minutes, " said a forest employee who was part of the team.

 

Suroj, a 24-year-old resident of Top Line of New Lands Tea Estate, was taken

to the Kumargram block hospital from where he was referred to the Alipurduar

hospital.

 

On the way, he died. Today, Bijoy Kharia and Gabriel Gullu, who were also

injured from splinters, surrendered in Kumargram police station and were

forwarded to the court of additional chief judicial magistrate of

Alipurduar.

 

Suvankar Sengupta, the deputy field director of the reserve, said: " After

spotting the gang in the Critical Tiger Habitat area of the forest, our

staff challenged them. They fired from a muzzleloader after the smugglers

started shooting arrows. Three persons were injured from the splinters. One

of them died and the other two surrendered later. We have recovered one

improvised gun, few rounds of cartridges, bicycle and timber from the spot. "

 

" We have started investigating and a hunt is on for the other members of the

gang, which is involved in timber smuggling as well as poaching, " Sengupta

added.

 

The officer said the gang also smuggled in animal parts. " They had arms like

an improvised gun and even bows and arrows with them. Usually timber

smugglers come with axe and choppers, not gun or arrows. In this case, we

suspect the gang wanted to kill animals, " he added.

 

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