Assam Forest dept begins probe after elephant tusks chopped off in Digboi
Digboi: The Assam Forest Department has launched a high-level, time-bound investigation after an elephant was brutally mutilated and its two ivory tusks chopped off in the Lakhipathar area under Digboi Forest Division in Tinsukia district.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Sandeep Kumar told North East Now on Saturday that the case was being treated as a top priority due to widespread public concern and assured a strong, result-oriented probe.
He expressed confidence in the investigating team and said sustained efforts were underway to ensure an early breakthrough, with full faith in the department’s field staff to crack the case.
Acting on directions from the forest top brass, officials immediately launched a crackdown operation. An case has been registered as O.R. No. LKP/02 of 2026-27 dated April 16, 2026, under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
Further intensifying the probe, investigating officer Rakesh Baruah was formally appointed through an official order dated April 17, 2026.
As part of the immediate enforcement drive, several suspects were summoned for questioning on Saturday at the Lakhipathar Forest Range Office in the presence of local police. Sources said the elephant’s owner, Hunjoy Duaniya, and caretaker, Latu Moran, were also interrogated as part of the ongoing investigation.
Officials said sustained questioning and evidence collection were continuing on priority to establish the full chain of events.
The case had earlier drawn public attention after wildlife activist Debojit Moran alleged on social media a possible nexus behind the crime and did not rule out departmental involvement. He further claimed the tusks were chopped off while the elephant was still alive and without anesthesia, raising serious concerns over the brutality of the act.
Forest sources acknowledged that the Digboi Division has previously witnessed cases of elephant poaching, illegal transportation and ivory smuggling, including arrests under Doomdooma Police Station jurisdiction in 2016.
Investigators are now examining whether the latest incident is linked to earlier networks or a revived racket involving forged documentation and illegal wildlife transport routes.
A staff member of the division also revealed that an individual had previously attempted to approach the Forest Department on behalf of an accused in a wildlife transportation matter, though the request was not entertained. This angle is now reportedly under scrutiny as part of the wider probe.
Meanwhile, wildlife activists and environmental groups in the district have welcomed the prompt and structured response of the forest department’s top leadership, expressing hope for a decisive breakthrough. They have also extended support to authorities in apprehending those involved in what they described as a heinous crime.
The injured elephant remains under constant veterinary supervision, with forest officials ensuring continued medical care even as the investigation progresses.