Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, Dec 22: In a major anti-encroachment operation in Balakote area of Mendhar in Poonch district today, Forest Department dismantled two shops and retrieved 50 kanal forest land on Jammu-Poonch National Highway in Bhatadhurian while at least 13 persons including 4 cops were injured in stone pelting.
A team of Forest officials led by Bashir Malik, Range Officer Mendhar, along with a party of FPF and Police personnel from Gursai along with Executive Magistrate 1st Class Kabir Hussain reached the spot and dismantled the shops for violation of Sec 6 of J&K Forest Act, despite facing heavy resistance and violence from the encroacher and his accomplices.
The eviction was carried out after the illegal mutations entered in the name of the encroachers in the Revenue record was set aside by the Court of Addl DC, Poonch after a protracted litigation. It is pertinent to mention here that the dismantled shops were constructed in the month of October last year in the garb of illegal entries/mutations on Forest land in the Revenue records.
The entire operation was coordinated by Dr Syed Nadeem Hussain, Divisional Forest Officer Poonch and Choudhary Mohd Shafeeq, Astt Commissioner (Rev) Poonch. SSP Poonch JS.Johar provided the necessary security cover which made this difficult operation successful.
Encroacher namely Mohd.Shafi, son of Abdullah, resident of Bhatadhurian along with his family members and others blocked the Jammu-Poonch National Highway and resorted to violence and heavy stone pelting which resulted in injuries to four Police officials, 5 Forest officials and four protesters. Despite this, the joint Forest-police team managed to demolish these illegal structures and seized the material under Section 26 of J&K Forest Act. An FIR has already been registered against the culprits, an official said.
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