News from Mayurbhanj

The villagers of Dumuria village were trying to drive away a herd of elephants on Wednesday. Then, Deepak Munda and Bapi Majhi allegedly threw fireballs at the herd. 

The protesting villagers alleged that the road connecting Pandu Chhak and Ghuntibila has now turned into a slushy track making it difficult to commute daily on the route.

The villagers were miffed after water was not released in branch canals from Deo reservoir.  

While the students were going to the Collector’s office to press for their demand for teachers, they were stopped midway by the Sub Collector, the tehsildar and other officials.

Samarendra Behera, an artist from Mayurbhanj district, has made a smoke art depicting India’s lunar mission and garnering praise from all quarters for his art.

Inspector General of Police (Eastern Region) Himanshu Lal said that 16 weapons have already been seized in the special operation, which is continuing near Similipal for the past few days.

In one such incident, two men have been accused of feasting on human flesh collected from a crematorium in Odisha. The shocking incident has been reported from Dantunibindha village under Badasahi block of Mayurbhanj district.

The replica of the Dakota aircraft, which measures 3 feet 6 inches, was built using coconut shells only and it took almost two months to give the shape to the craft.

Mayurbhanj SP, B. Gangadhar said that a massive drive will be launched shortly and we appeal poachers and those involved in illegal gun manufacturing to surrender before July 30, or else stern action will be taken against them.

The woman, identified as Karami Murmu, decided to hand over her daughter to another woman in lieu of the meagre amount as she found it difficult to raise her second child. Her first child is a daughter.

Forester Mati Hansda was shot dead allegedly by poachers inside the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) on June 16.

Meanwhile, on getting information Karanjia police reached the spot today and rescued the woman and the youth who were held captive by the locals.

Apart from holding the protest, the agitating forest department employees also demanded fulfillment of their five-point charter of demands at the earliest.

As per initial reports, an exchange of fire broke out between a team of forest department officials and a group of poachers on late Friday night. The incident occurred when the forest department team was carrying out patrolling inside Similipal Sanctuary at Gamuchajharan.

Earlier, an inconclusive meeting was held in this connection in the presence of the Mayurbhanj Collector and the SP, and members of Bhanja Sena.