A rhinoceros found killed by militants in Assam's Kaziranga National Park. A rhinoceros found killed by militants in Assam's Kaziranga National Park.

The government of Assam has said extremist outfits using AK-47 and AK-56 guns are killing rhinoceros in the state's Kaziranga National Park.

Establishing the link between poachers and terrorists, the state authorities, in response to an RTI application, have accepted that the Karbi People's Liberation Tigers (KPLT), an extremist outfit, was actively involved in the poaching of rhinos and trade of its horns.

Outdated weapons

The replies have also revealed that assault rifles like AK-47 and AK-56s were used by the poachers, outpacing forest guards who continue to use outdated weapons. Kaziranga is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is one of the largest breeding grounds for single horned rhinos in the world.

Also, the Assam government and the Centre have claimed of tightening the noose around poachers but not a single of the 243 poachers arrested in the last five years has been convicted under Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

Further, not a single poacher out of the 52 arrested by the Kaziranga authorities themselves has been convicted till date.

The figures, obtained through an RTI application by wildlife activist Rohit Choudhury, revealed that in the last five years, 84 poachers were arrested in the Karbi Anglong district surrounding the Kaziranga National Park and tiger reserve, while 29 were held in the state's Golaghat district.

Fifty poachers were arrested in Sonitpur while 80 were apprehended in Nagaon jurisdiction, as part of the KNP. Two poaching cases in Nagaon are being probed by the CBI.

Kaziranga authorities and the district police of Karbi Anglong, Golaghat, Sonitpur and Golaghat districts disclosed that massive arms and ammunition were recovered from inside and the boundaries of the park and tiger reserve, including .303 rifles, Sten Guns, INSAS rifles, SLR guns and more.

Explanation

"It is now officially proved that AK series weapon is used by militants, who are not only killing the animals but are involved in purchase of more sophisticated arms," Choudhury said.

"It also points to the sheer inability of the Kaziranga authorities to combat the poachers as the field staff is only equipped with .303 rifles," said Choudhury, who is also contending a case in the NGT on the increasing man-animal conflicts on NH-37 inside the park.

When asked, a top official of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, the Union Environment ministry's wildlife intelligence wing, said, "We have been barred from speaking to the press."

M.K. Yadava, Director, KNP, said, "The use of AK rifles is not a secret. We have even sent a report on this and the involvement of extremists to the government and have also submitted the same before the Guwahati High Court in August 2014."

A CAG report on the use of sophisticated weapons and involvement of militants in Kaziranga is also expected to be tabled in the state Assembly on Tuesday.