In the case of the Orangutans in Odisha, a Digha link emerges. Three people have been detained at a hotel in this connection. The STF is still tracking the Black Thar.
The investigation into the rescue of five infant orangutans from the Bhograi area of Balasore has now extended to Digha in West Bengal. The Odisha Crime Branch STF has detained three individuals at a hotel in Digha and is interrogating them.
The STF is seeking answers regarding who brought the orangutans, their origin, and their intended destination. A black Mahindra Thar has become the most crucial lead in the investigation, with CCTV footage tracing its movement from Digha to Bhograi.
It has been learned that the hotel owner hails from the Howrah region of West Bengal. Both the hotel owner and his son are suspected of involvement in the incident. While they have been absconding since yesterday, the police are conducting raids at various locations to trace them.
The West Bengal Link In The Case Of The Orangutans In Odisha
Prior to the rescue of five orangutan cubs from the Bichitrapur-Badapahi forest in Bhograi, a black Mahindra Thar vehicle had traveled along that route. It returned from the forest area fifteen minutes later.
Authorities are now investigating the matters related to this black Thar involved in the mystery about orangutans. Additionally, another piece of CCTV footage regarding the incident surfaced yesterday. The CCTV footage clearly shows a black Thar vehicle passing by. the footage is reported to be from the Digha area of West Bengal.
It has been revealed that the vehicle arrived at 10:56 pm on the night prior to the orangutan rescue. The black Thar reportedly belongs to a hotel owner. Meanwhile, the site in the Bichitrapur-Badapahi forest where the five orangutans were rescued has been cordoned off with netting and declared a restricted zone. The Forest Department has set up a camp at the location, and forest personnel are maintaining a round-the-clock vigil.
CCTV footage from roads along the border is being examined. From Sumatra-Borneo to Balasore, which route did the orangutans take? The investigation is covering sea, road, and rail routes.
Given Balasore’s proximity to the West Bengal border, some wildlife experts have raised the possibility that the animal was brought into Odisha via Bangladesh and West Bengal. However, no evidence confirming this route has surfaced so far.
