Theni
Theni MP, O.P. Ravindranath, who was summoned by Forest officials for an enquiry into the death of a leopard under mysterious circumstances near his farm in Periyakulam on September 27, did not appear on Tuesday.
His advocates, who appeared before the enquiry officer, Forest Range Officer, Bodinaickanoor, M. Senthil Kumar, said that the MP was away in Delhi on an official visit and hence could not appear in person.
The carcass of the leopard which was found after getting trapped in an abandoned fence was buried after conducting post-mortem.
However, subsequently, the Forest officials arrested a sheperd, Alexpandian, who had put up sheep penning on the farm belonging to the MP on charges of killing the wild cat.
When the members of Tamil Nadu Cattle-rearers Protection Association protested against the arrest of Alexpandian, the forest officials arrested the managers of the MP’s farm, M. Thangavel and K. Rajavel.
Crying foul over the investigation, the cattle-rearers sought enquiry of the MP.
Meanwhile, the Assistant Conservator of Forests, Mahendran, who came under a leopard attack on September 26, the previous day of the death of the leopard, was transferred on October 21 and was kept in vacancy reserve.
