NIA given rhino case, park chief suspended

The Assam forest department on Wednesday decided to hand over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) the case of the rhino killing during the visit of forest minister Pramila Rani Brahma and suspended Kaziranga National Park director Muffakar Ali with immediate effect.

Disclosing that forest department principal secretary Sanjiv Kumar, in his recommendation, had suggested a high-level probe by the NIA, sources in the department said that the NIA would be asked to probe the entire incident which was kept hidden from the minister and higher authorities for two days despite their presence in the park at the time of the killing.

Pointing out that even though the media reported that a female rhino had been killed by poachers at about 3 pm on June 7, sources said that park authorities kept insisting that only gunshots had been heard. Informing that the NIA has been given the mandate to probe all the aspects of the rhino killing, sources said that Ms Brahma has also directed the department to follow a zero-tolerance policy on the killing of wild animals by poachers.