Cuttack: Police has detained eight persons including Badamba ranger after a man detained by the Forest department on poaching charge died under mysterious circumstances in Athagarh of Odisha's Cuttack district on Sunday. The deceased was identified as Dhaneswar Behera (59) of Khuntakata village under Athagarh tehsil here.

As per reports, forest personnel recovered a decomposed body of a tusker from Badamba-Hindol range a few days back. The jumbo had bullet injuries on its body which indicated possibility of poaching. While investigation began soon after, forest officials detained Dhaneswar as a suspect for further interrogation at Badamba on Sunday. However, he died in the department's custody.

Following Dhaneswar's suspicious death, Athagarh police started probing the issue and has detained Badamaba ranger and seven others in this connection.

Till reports last came in, the family of the deceased had arrived at the Athagarh hospital where the postmortem will be carried out.