Baripada: In a significant development in the case of death of a 40-year-old man in Odisha’s Similipal forest in Mayurbhanj district, a Forest official today said he was killed most likely due to firing by a staff.

"The Forest personnel were patrolling to check poaching activities. They spotted around 10 poachers who were carrying guns and bow & arrow. They tried to intercept the poachers, who fired at the Forest personnel and attacked them with arrow. In self defence, the staffers fired 'warning shots' in air. The poachers then fled the place," said Prakash Chand Gogineni, Regional Chief Conservator of Forest.

"Police have recovered a .303 bullet from the body of the deceased. Most probably, the particular bullet was fired from the gun of our staff. Police are carrying out further investigation in this regard," the official said.

The body of the deceased, identified as Jagannath Hembram of Burudi village under Talabandha Forest Range, was found at the forest on June 1. His family members had blamed the Forest department for the death.

“Our son has been shot dead by Forest personnel,” the bereaved family alleged.

“An innocent tribal youth was killed by the department for no reason. I demand an independent inquiry into the untimely death of my husband,” Jagannath’s wife Jhana Hembram rued.

According to a source, Jagannath was a local herdsman and had gone into the Similipal sanctuary on Wednesday afternoon along with his employer to search for a missing buffalo. He faced a bullet attack when both were returning back home.

Allegedly, Forest personnel opened fire at them suspecting them to be poachers.

The Forest department was tipped off that a group of local poachers had entered Similipal sanctuary. Swinging into action, a team led by Talabandha ranger Shailendra Kumar Das had raided the forest in search of the poachers.