Pioneer News Service
Daltonganj
A 23-year-old man was electrocuted by an illegal electric fence set up to trap wild boars in Jharkhand’s Palamu district, with a police investigation revealing that the victim was part of the group that had installed the live fence for hunting and selling wild boar meat.
The victim, Sachin Kumar Sah of Sheikhdeeha village under Untari Road police station, died on the night of July 14. His body was found buried beneath sand near the Koel River on July 15, initially leaving the cause of death a mystery.
Bishrampur SDPO Chiranjeev Mandal said the case was cracked after the arrest of Ramjee Rajwar (45) and Kamal Rajwar (30) on July 23. During interrogation, the duo allegedly admitted that they and four others had erected an electrified fence to trap wild boars. Police said the group had previously caught a wild boar weighing around 1.5 quintals and sold its meat.
According to the investigation, Sachin was talking to his fiancée on his mobile phone near the fence when he accidentally touched the live wire and was electrocuted. Instead of informing the police, the group allegedly buried his body beneath sand to conceal the incident.
Police have registered non-bailable offences, including charges related to murder, concealment of a body and destruction of evidence. Three to four more suspects are still absconding.
Investigators also found that the fence was powered by an illegally hooked 11 KV electricity line from a nearby power pole. The Electricity Department has launched a separate probe into the power theft.
Police have seized 50 feet of iron wire and six wooden poles from the site. The post-mortem report is still awaited, though police believe the death was accidental and the subsequent concealment of the body led to the criminal case.
