After an elderly man was mauled to death by a Royal Bengal Tiger in the Nonoi area in Assam’s Nagaon district on January 5, the administration issued a prohibitory order u/s 144 in selected areas in the district.
The incident was reported from Bhelagaon village in the Nonoi area.
According to the reports, the tiger attacked the man while he was walking towards his home. One person was also injured in the attack.
In a letter dated January 5, the district commissioner, Nagaon said, “Whereas report has been received from Divisional Forest Officer, Nagaon Division, that a Royal Bengal Tiger has been found to be straying at Nonoi area under Nagaon Ranga, Nagaon Division and it is also reported that one person is dead and one is injured of village Nonoi Bhelaigaon in attack of the concerned Tiger.”
The letter further said, “… as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to deal with emergency arising due to straying of tigers in human-dominated landscapes issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, National Tiger Conservation Authority, Govt. of India, there is an urgent need to promulgate prohibitory order under Section 144 Cr. P C in the area affected by the depredation of the stray tiger and to maintain public safety.
The letter further said, “Now, therefore, in exercise of the power conferred on me under Section 144 (1) of the Cr.P.C., I Narendra Kumar Shah, IAS, District Magistrate, Nagaon, do hereby promulgate prohibitory orders prohibiting assemble of five or more persons, Carrying of firearms, lethal weapons, and bows and arrows and shouting or making loud notes or in any other way causing breach of public peace and order or physically causing inconvenience or difficulty or preventing concerning officials of Environment & Forest Department as well as law enforcement agencies by any person is prohibited so that the said officials may discharge their duties without any hindrance in the area to drive away the stray tiger or capture it for the safety of human lives.”
Meanwhile, the forest department and local police are engaged in efforts to capture the tiger
