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GOSABA: A 55-year-old crab-catcher out on a crab-hunting trip was found dead, his body apparently half-eaten by a tiger, in the Sunderbans on Wednesday.
Dharani Mondal’s body was found by a team of forest officials, accompanied by locals, deep inside the forests between Kumirmari and Jhila rivers. He was from Sarkarpara in the Gosaba area and had left to catch crabs on Monday, accompanied by some local teenagers.
Local fishermen’s association leader Chandan Maity said: “The teenagers accompanying the victim were inexperienced in how to tackle a tiger. Only Dharani had such experience. The teenagers returned and informed about the incident.”
Dharani’s relative Amulya Mondal said the body had been half-eaten by a tiger. A forest official said: “The victim’s body has been sent for post-mortem. We are probing whether those who went on the crab-catching trip had passes authorising them to do so.”
