Forest beat officer dies after stepping into live-wire trap in Telangana reserve forest
HYDERABAD: A 37-year-old forest beat officer, Banoth Naveen, died after coming into contact with a live electric wire allegedly laid to hunt wild animals in a reserve forest at Nakinipeta in Bhadradri Kothagudem district on Tuesday night, TOI reported.
According to the report, Naveen was part of a forest team that entered compartment 230 of the Krishnasagar Reserve Forest near a 15-hectare Marujathi plantation after receiving information about live wires being used to trap wild animals.
The report said Naveen had earlier received information about a live wire and had gone to get it removed. A subsequent call indicated activity in the area, prompting forest staff to believe they had an opportunity to catch suspected poachers.
District forest officer Siddharth Vikram Singh told TOI, “It was Naveen’s beat, so he was in front. The wire was around knee height. As soon as he came into contact with it, he fell down.”
According to the FIR cited in the TOI report, the team noticed three persons acting suspiciously while moving through the plantation. When forest staff flashed their torches, the three allegedly identified themselves as Nagi Reddy, Naresh and Veerababu before fleeing.
Naveen ran ahead of the other forest personnel in an attempt to apprehend them. Around 21.30 IST, he came into contact with the concealed live wire. The complaint states that sparks and flames erupted when he touched the wire.
Forest staff pulled Naveen away and sought emergency medical assistance after his condition deteriorated.
At 21.57 IST, deputy range officer Kursam Anarkali informed the forest divisional officer, Paloncha. The officer contacted the 112 emergency service seeking police and ambulance assistance.
The ambulance could not reach the spot because of the terrain. Naveen’s colleagues carried him to a nearby stream-side pathway, where the ambulance could reach them.
He was taken from Cherupusingaram West Beat to Bhadrachalam Area Hospital, where the duty doctor examined him and declared him dead.
The FIR states that the live wire drew power from a transformer situated on ROFR patta land occupied by Lakavath Balu and Mudakam Venkatamma of Nakinipeta and Tejapavath Mangilal of Kothathanda. The three land occupants have not been named as accused in the FIR.
TOI reported that officials were examining the calls that brought Naveen and the forest team to the location. Police are expected to examine call detail records to establish the identity and location of the caller.
Investigators are also looking into whether the caller was linked to those who laid the electric trap and whether others were involved in providing information and hunting.
Principal chief conservator of forests and head of forest force Vinay Kumar directed officials to provide assistance to Naveen’s family.
Naveen was a resident of Venkatayya Thanda in Singareni mandal of Khammam district. His family lives in the Karepalli area. He is survived by his wife and two children.
