Excelsior Correspondent
Jammu, May 11: A Forester was injured when he was allegedly attacked by protestors during an anti-encroachment drive was launched by the Forest officials at Dami (Katra-Domail) in district Jammu today.
The incident took place when the officials of Jammu Forest Division led by DFO, Dr V S Senthil Kumar were carrying out the drive at Dami (Domail) in Jindrah Range in presence of Ist Class Magistrate and police headed by SHO Jhajjar Kotli. The Forest official Sanjeev Kumar was injured after encroachers hit him with an iron rod during the operation. He was immediately shifted to Government Medical College Jammu for treatment. The two accused, identified as Younis and Hashim Din of Badola village, have been arrested by police and an FIR has been lodged against them for preventing and assaulting the Government servant from executing legitimate duty.
The DFO disclosed that ten shops/tin-sheds which were raised on Forest land along Jammu-Udhampur National Highway were demolished as part of the operation and the whole drive was video-graphed. He said the Forest land was diverted to National Highway Authority of India for four-lanning of National Highway, taking advantage of which encroachers constructed the sheds. JCB was also used in smashing the raised structures.
He said due procedure was adopted and ‘Nishandehi’ was conducted a month ago with Revenue Department. Accordingly notices under J&K Forest Act were also served on them. They were give sufficient time to vacate the Govt land. But they remained unmoved.
The material was seized and brought to Jhajjar Kotli nursery. The Forest Department is taking measures to prevent encroachment on Forest land and violators will not be spared, the DFO said, adding, that the retrieved land will be fenced soon.
The operation was carried out by a Forest team comprising 30 members including RO Jindrah Ghulam Qadir and RO Bahu, Ajit Chander along with anti-encroachment team of Jammu Forest Division under the direct supervision of Conservator of Forests, East Circle Brij Sharma.
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