Bihar: Endangered blackbuck killed in Rohtas, constable detained

PATNA: A young blackbuck, a species of endangered antelope, was killed by poachers at a village in Rohtas district late on Wednesday. A police constable has been detained for questioning.
The incident came to light on Thursday morning when a video showing some people chopping off the horns of the blackbuck went viral on social media. A forest department team led by ranger Satyendra Kumar reached the spot and sent the blackbuck carcass to the Rajpur veterinary hospital for an autopsy.
“The post mortem report is awaited.What I can say at this stage is that a blackbuck has been killed and a suspect is being questioned. Prima facie it appeared that the valuable horns of the blackbuck was chopped off with a sharp edged weapon after being killed,” said Rohtas divisional forest officer Pradumna Gautam.
Though the villagers told the members of the visiting team that the blackbuck was shot from close range, no bullet marks were found on the body, he added.
While a police constable, Niraj Kumar Dubey, was apprehended by some locals and handed over to the police, two others managed to escape. “The interrogation of the constable will throw more light on the incident,” Gautam said.
The DFO said the post-mortem examination has been videographed as per guidelines set by the department. He admitted that the blackbuck fell victim to poachers as these animals are often spotted moving about in the agricultural fields.
Buxar, Rohtas, Kaimur and Bhojpur have a large number of blackbucks and reports of this endangered species being killed surfaces from time to time. “But we have been able to check the disconcerting trend with the active support of local residents,” the DFO said.
Sasaram SDPO Laxman Prasad, however, said, “The police driver was among the people who had gathered on the spot after the news about the killing of the blackbuck spread in the area.” But he refused to comment on why the cop failed to inform senior police officers or how he reached the spot, which is nearly two kilometres from the police station.
Police sources said the accused may have to face imprisonment up to seven years if found guilty under the Wild Life Act. Since the blackbuck falls under endangered category, the culprit is awarded the same punishment as for killing a tiger or a leopard.
Forest department principal secretary Dipak Kumar Singh told this newspaper that the detained police driver was being quizzed to gather more information about the crime. “Blackbucks are found in large number in Kaimur, Rohtas and Buxar, and they usually roam around in the open. Locals have also been very supportive and they inform the forests department in case of any suspicious activity. We are getting into the details of how this incident happened,” Singh said.