Sinlung /
30 May 2010

55 Rhinos Killed in Kaziranga in Last 4 Years

rhino poaching Nagaon, May 30 : While wildlife lovers around the globe are rallying against rhino poaching, as many as 55 rhinos have been killed in the UNESCO's world heritage site Kaziranga National park, in the last four years.

According to insiders of Kaziranga National Park, a nexus between a section of forest guards and poachers is being suspected to be involved in rhino poaching.

And now, authorities of Assam's Kaziranga National Park, forest guard and security personnel are killing innocent people in fake encounters and producing them as poachers to cover up their failure, alleged by local people who reside near the park.

The incident came to light when villagers of Silveta under Bokakhat Police Station in Golaghat district, some 35 kms from Kaziranga National Park, alleged that, a youth called Rahul Kutum was killed by forest guards in a fake encounter inside the Park on May 21, morning.

Later, the park authorities produced 4 'poachers' killed in the encounter.

Park authorities said, the killed poachers have not been identified.

But the villagers alleged that, the park authorities killed innocent youth Rahul Kutum along with three others in a fake encounter for covering their failure to protect rhinos.

Family members of Rahul Kutum lodged FIR at Bokakhat Police Station and a case (No - 91/2010, under section 302) had registered.

Villagers of Silveta given a memorandum to Golaghat DC demanding a fair inquiry into the incident.

Tileswar Kutum, elder brother of Rahul Kutum told IBNS, "the park authorities producing it as colourful for covering their failures".

It is to be mentioned that, 55 one horned rhinoceros have been killed in Kaziranga in last four years, during the period when Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain took charge of the state government ministry.

Poachers killed 20 rhino in 2007, 16 in 2008, 13 in 2009 and 6 in this year. In this period park authorities killed only 8 poachers and forest department, security personnel arrested 37 nos of rhino poachers.

Over 800 rhinos were killed during the last decade - it is enough to raise a loud alarm on Kaziranga national Park.

In other hand, Kaziranga lost more than 150 rhinos and 40 tigers in natural dead.

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