Initial investigation by the forest division revealed that the jackals had consumed some substance at a private sugarcane crusher unit in the village. The post-mortem report also stated that jackals had consumed some poisonous substance.

The forest division had sealed the sugarcane crusher and registered a case against the owner, Santosh Kumar Verma, who is presently absconding.

A source in the forest division said that reportedly, the sugarcane crusher owner was frustrated as jackals regularly visited the unit at night.

“They damaged the goods, the jaggery stock and left the place in a mess. The owner might have mixed some poisonous substance in the molasses. The jackals died after consuming it,” the source said.

Divisional Forest Officer, North Kheri Forest Division, K K Singh said: “A case has been registered against Verma under the Indian Wildlife Act.”

The forest division has sent the viscera for examination to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly. It has also sent the chemicals seized from the sugarcane crusher to Indian Chemical Laboratory in Pune for tests. A panel of four doctors from different hospitals were chipped in to conduct the post-mortem on Sunday.

According to reports, a villager informed forest division officials that they had spotted the bodies of three jackals in the village on Saturday. Hearing the news, a team of Forest Division rushed to the spot. During a search, the forest division found a few more more bodies in the locality.