Forensic Trail Weakened by Delayed Discovery
The investigation, however, is operating under a cloud.
No urine test was conducted within the critical 24-hour window that would have detected the possible use of anaesthetic agents — a lapse that wildlife experts say is particularly significant given that the tusks of the elephant, named Mangal Singh, appear to have been hacked off alive and deep at the root.
Experts have expressed scepticism that such a precise and brutal act could have been carried out without tranquilizers, pointing to a level of planning and technical knowledge that strengthens the suspicion of organised involvement.
The Forest Department reportedly became aware of the incident only on April 16 — nearly two days after it occurred on the night of April 14, when unidentified miscreants targeted the elephant under the Lakhipathar Forest Range of Digboi Forest Division in Tinsukia district.
NGO Treatment Without Official Consent Raises Concern
A separate controversy has emerged around the actions of Wildlife SOS, an NGO active in the Doomdooma division.
Sources alleged that the organisation administered treatment to the injured elephant within less than 12 hours of the incident — without conducting a urine test and without obtaining official consent from any Divisional Forest Officer. Critics say this may have further compromised the forensic evidence available to investigators.
The allegations, if confirmed, raise serious questions about protocol adherence in wildlife crime cases where the preservation of physical evidence is essential to prosecution.
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