Croc spat: Forest officer killed
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An Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) who was allegedly beaten up by revellers on May 6 at Crocodile Valley resort in the Dandeli-Anshi tiger reserve, when he tried to stop them from feeding the crocodiles, succumbed to the injuries at a hospital on Wednesday. Four people, including an assistant executive engineer of an electric supply company, have been arrested.
On Wednesday evening, forest minister C.P. Yogeshwar said a CID probe has been recommended to investigate the death of ACF Madan Nayak. Around 20 revellers from Bagalkot, which included government officials and a police officer, who were having a cocktail party at the resort on the evening of May 6, were feeding crocodiles when ACF Madan Nayak, who was also at the Dandelappa temple nearby with his family, spotted them. He objected to the crocodiles being fed by the revellers, and allegedly had his head bashed in. He was later admitted to SDM Hospital in Dharwad where he died on Wednesday. Surprisingly, the attackers had even filed a case against the officer under the Prevention of Atrocities Act.
News of his death sparked off a road-blockade in Dandeli town by forest staff and a cottage belonging to the owner of the farmhouse where the party was held, was torched. The ACF’s wife Sumathi Nayak lodged a complaint against six people with Dandeli Rural police including police sub-inspector S.R. Nayak of Thikota police station, Bagalkot. She also named Shailaja Nayak, a teacher in Bhagavati high school of Bagalkot district and her mother, Danabai Nayak in her complaint. The two women are absconding, police said.
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