Chhattisgarh: Show-cause notice to DFO, 4 others suspended in connection with female elephants death

Balrampur (Chhattisgarh) [India], June 14 : Chhattisgarh government has issued a show-cause notice to Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Balrampur district, and suspended four others forest officials in connection with the death of three female elephants reported in Surguja range, earlier this week.
As per the orders, show cause notice was issued to Pranay Mishra Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) in Balrampur district. Additionally, Sub Divisional Forest Officer (Rajpur) KS Khutia, Forest Range Officer (Rajpur) Anil Singh, Deputy Ranger (Gopalpur) Rajendra Prasad Tiwari and Forest guard Bhupendra Singh have been placed under suspension.
This development comes at the backdrop of the death of three elephants in Chhattisgarh this week, causing concern among the forest officials.
Death of an elephant was reported in the Balrampur district and a three-day-old carcass of an elephant was found in Gopalpur village of Rajpur forest area of Chattisgarh on Thursday.
Another death of an elephant was reported from a forest in Surajpur district on Wednesday. The state has reported three cases of elephant deaths over the past few days in the Surguja range.
Officials said they were concerned about the elephant deaths and a team of doctors will be investigating the cause of death of these elephants.
"According to preliminary reports, a pregnant elephant died after its heart stopped working, another died after it consumed a toxic substance. Report of the death of the third elephant is awaited," said Chhattisgarh Forest Minister Mohammad Akbar.