TNI Bureau: The Commissionerate Police late last night arrested two youths for attacking Nandankanan Zoo officials and damaging property worth lakhs of rupees yesterday.
The arrested accused have been identified as Prasant Kumar Pahad and Govind Sahu of Daruthenga village in Chandaka Tehsil of Khurda.
Police swung into action and arrested the duo based on the complaint filed against the duo by the Nandankanan Zoo officials.
According to police, Prasant, who has criminal cases, had a heated argument with some forest officials earlier today. Later, in the evening around 5 PM he reached the Nandankanan Zoo barged into the office of Deputy Director of Nandankanan Zoological Park with weapons. They induced a state of terror in the office especially in the chambers of ACF (SM), ACF (VM), and office corridor.
Both of them, who were under the influence of alcohol, also manhandled Dr. Rajesh Mahapatra, the biologist, Dr. Sudipta Kumar Panda, ACF (SBG), Dr. Rashmi Ranjan Swoin, ACF (SM), and Ashuthosh Campa, audit officer in the F&E Department of the Government of Odisha.
The duo also damaged numerous office assets, including computers, laptops, printers, TV, and furniture. They also destroyed the laptop and mobile phones of the audit officer also.
The entire actions of Prasant and Govind were captured by the CCTV cameras installed in the offices of the forest officials. Based on the footages of the CCTV camera, police identified them and arrested at around 1 AM. Further probe into the matter is underway.