Government is trying to sheild the criminals : BJD

Three main accused arrested from MLA’s farmhouse

Zero action against MLA, Nilagiri

In this incident, the MLA should be arrested immediately.

Bhubaneswar: -The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) said that the state government is to supress the truth regarding involvement of BJP’s Nilagiri MLA Shri Santosh Khatua, alleging his involvement in the killing of a tusk elephant and the looting of its tusks by local forest officials in the Nilgiri area on June 15. Out of the five accused three of the main accused were arrested while hiding in the farmhouse of the MLA Shri Khatua, from which it was clear that the MLA was involved in this crime, but the forest officials have not been able to muster the courage to take any action against the MLA, the BJD said.

At a press conference held at Shankha Bhaban, the party’s Senior General Secretary and Spokesperson Dr. Lekhashree Samanta Singhar, former Minister Jyoti Ranjan Panigrahi and
Former MLA Sukant Nayak gave detailed information about the direct involvement of Nilgiri MLA Santosh Khatua in the state elephant killing and looting of its valuable tusks. Dr. Lekhashree Samantasinghar said that on June 15, the forest officials found the dead body of a huge tusk elephant near Haduisahi village of Telipad panchayat under Nilgiri block. It is worth mentioning that the elephant’s tusks had been cut off by the herdsmen, from which it was clear that the herdsmen had killed the elephant with the intention of obtaining the tusks. Later, the forest officials investigated the incident and arrested four herdsmen involved in it. Out of the four accused, three of the main accused were arrested from the farm house of Nilgiri MLA Sri Khatua, who lives in the area. Although there was suspicion that the local MLA Shri Khatua was involved in this incident, the forest officials have not taken any action against Shri Khatua.

Dr. Samantasinghar said that since he is an MLA of the ruling party, the state government is targeting Shri Khatua. Shri Khatua is accused of being involved in many illegal activities. In the nineties, Shri Khatua, who worked as an employee in the Ispat Alloys Limited company in Balasore, later became a crorepati himself when the company went bankrupt. Shri Khatua has previously been accused of encroaching on one and a half acres of land of Padmalochana Mund High School and at least 200 acres of forest land. Apart from this, there are allegations that he is involved in illegal mining and sand mining. Therefore, Dr. Samantasinghar demanded that Shri Khatua be arrested and appropriate action be taken against him in the elephant death and tooth theft incidents and the Profession Act be imposed.