Keonjhar (Orissa), January 27: A day after electrocution of two elephants in Orissa’s Keonjhar district, two personnel of Northern Electricity Supply Company (NESCO) were arrested today in connection with the incident, official sources said.
Junior Engineer Sthitapragyan Mohanty and lineman Indramani Biswal were arrested under the Wildlife Protection Act and forwarded to court, the sources said.
The female elephants, aged about 25 years, died after coming in contact with a high tension electric wire at Budhamba village under Telkoi range of Keonjhar Forest Division yesterday.
In protest against the arrest of the two personnel, NESCO employees in Telkoi area ceased work and wore black badges, the sources said.
The death of the two elephants followed similar incidents of three jumbo deaths in the same area in July last year.
–Agencies