Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, May 14: A Forest Department official was seriously injured while chasing a truck involved in smuggling of timber at Chhan Arorian near here early this morning.
The official was injured after the truck with illegal timber being smuggled to Punjab hit the car which was chasing it.
As part of the special drive, Forest Department teams had established naka points at different locations, including Rajbagh, following inputs regarding the movement of trucks carrying illegal timber. The operation was conducted under the supervision of Ankit Saxena, Divisional Forest Officer, Kathua. Officials said one truck carrying illegal timber broke through the naka at Rajbagh and fled towards the Highway. Acting swiftly, the Forest Department team began tracking the vehicle. The truck was later spotted near Chadwal Morh, after which officials chased it and reached Chhan Arorian. During the chase, the Forest Department team attempted to overtake the truck to stop it. However, instead of slowing down, the driver accelerated the vehicle and drove recklessly, causing a collision with the official vehicle. At the time of the incident, four Forest Department personnel were travelling in the official vehicle.
Among them, Naresh Kumar, who was seated on the front left seat, sustained serious injuries after the vehicle in which he was travelling was hit by truck. Due to the impact, he fell out of the vehicle and was critically injured. Other officials present in the vehicle also received minor injuries. The injured personnel were shifted to Government Medical College Kathua for treatment. Officials said one employee sustained grievous injuries, while the remaining suffered minor injuries and are under medical observation.
Sources said the smugglers were transporting illegal timber from Jammu and Kashmir to Punjab. The incident occurred while the department was actively intercepting vehicles involved in the illegal trade.
Following the attack, joint teams of Kathua Police and the Forest Department launched an extensive operation. Officials confirmed that one vehicle involved in the smuggling attempt has been traced, while efforts are underway to identify, trace and seize the remaining vehicles linked to the illegal trade. The incident has sparked concern among officials, as timber smugglers are increasingly using dangerous methods to escape enforcement action. Authorities said strict legal action will be taken against all those involved, and the anti-smuggling drive will continue across the district to curb illegal timber trade.
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