Team News Riveting
In the first incident of its kind, the Assam forest department had “arrested” a locomotive for killing elephants in Lumding Reserve Forest.
The engine of a goods train that mowed down a female elephant and her calf inside the Lumding Reserve Forest was seized on Tuesday by the Assam forest officials.
This is for the first time ever that such an action has been taken against the railways by the forest department.
After the seizure, Assam forest minister Parimal Suklabaidya said that the killing of elephants on railway tracks must stop and that the department should not fail to take a tough stand against the Railways.
The female elephant and her calf were mowed down a goods train engine in Lumding RF on September 27. The forest department lodged a complaint under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 against the railways.
The forest department also instituted an inquiry under the act and accordingly a team of forest officials proceeded to Bamunimaidan Loco Shed on Tuesday and seized the diesel loco engine (No. 12440).
The loco pilot and his assistant were earlier suspended by the railways after an internal inquiry.
It may be mentioned here that the Indian wild elephant is a Schedule-I animal under the entry 12-B of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972and killing attracts action under Section 9 of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and punishable under Sec 51 of the act.
