A tense situation erupted at Rongajan locality near Kakopathar-Makum bypass road in Tinsukia on Thursday night after 20 to 25 (approximately) wild elephants were believed to have been moved from the Assam-Arunachal border to Jamnagar in Gujarat on 49 trucks.
A huge crowd gathered in the bypass road and blocked the highway for several hours demanding clarification on the alleged translocation of wild elephants.
Speaking to the media, one of the local said, “We suspect that these elephants are being smuggled in as many as 49 trucks from Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border. Not just Arunachal, there are elephants from Assam that are loaded onto these trucks. Moreover, all the trucks have Gujarat number plates. There is something fishy here. Thus, we urge the Assam government to clarify this matter.”
Meanwhile, a police team from Tinsukia rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control and asked the crowd to disperse in order to maintain the law and order situation.
The trucks were then escorted to a safe zone by the police.
A senior police official claimed that the translocation of the elephants has been conducted under the direction of Gauhati High Court.
