Dutta had issued a video message and said if the post mortem report is not published by June 5, which is the World Environment Day, then it will indicate that the elephants were killed by direct or indirect influence of some officials of the Forest Department.
The 18 wild elephants, found dead in Nagaon district of Assam last month, were killed due to accidental electrocution by lightning, the post-mortem examination confirmed.
Channels Television
Updated May 14, 2021
In this file photograph taken on January 10, 2018, a herd of elephants feed around the waterhole at Pendjari National Park near Tanguieta in Benin.
Indian authorities launched a probe Friday into the deaths of at least 18 elephants, as a leading conservationist raised doubts that the animals were killed by lightning.
The dead herd was found in the hilly Kandali Proposed Reserve Forest in the northeastern India state of Assam on Thursday.
Forest officials and a local lawmaker, Jitu Goswami, told AFP they believed the elephants died after lightning struck the forest.
But prominent conservationist Soumyadeep Datta, from environmental activist group Nature’s Beckon, said that was unlikely based on social media images.
India probes death of 18 elephants hit by lightning
Issued on:
14/05/2021 - 09:41 Indian authorities are investigating the deaths of at least 18 elephants in the northeastern state of Assam Biju BORO AFP 2 min
Nagaon (India) (AFP)
Indian authorities launched a probe Friday into the deaths of at least 18 elephants, as a leading conservationist raised doubts that the animals were killed by lightning.
The dead herd was found in the hilly Kandali Proposed Reserve Forest in the northeastern India state of Assam on Thursday.
Forest officials and a local lawmaker, Jitu Goswami, told AFP they believed the elephants died after lightning struck the forest.
18 wild Asiatic elephants found dead in remote protected forest in India
May 14, 2021 / 5:50 AM / CBS/AFP
Indian authorities launched a probe Friday into the deaths of at least 18 elephants as a leading conservationist raised doubts that the animals were killed by lightning, the cause cited as likely by government officials.
The dead herd was found in the hilly Kandali Proposed Reserve Forest in the remote northeastern India state of Assam on Thursday. Forest officials and a local lawmaker, Jitu Goswami, told Agence France-Presse they believed the elephants died after lightning struck the forest.
This frame grab from video provided by KK Productions shows an Indian village boy paying respect to one of 18 wild Asiatic elephants found dead in the protected Kondali forest reserve in northeastern Assam state, India, on May 13, 2021. KK PRODUCTIONS via AP