Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Jan 19: The Forest Department staff in Bani Range of Basohli Forest Division foiled an attempt to illegally fell and smuggle the forest wealth and seized about 11 scants of Deodar during an operation last night.
Official sources said that Forest staff at Bani led by Range Officer and with the active support of police, red handedly caught two locals involved in illegal smuggling/ transportation and possession of the timber.
Giving details sources said during last night a Forest guard Panyalag beat, caught a local namely- Bharat Bhushan, son of Om Prakash of village Badi in Bani while he was trying to transport old Deodar timber in the form of scants (Kadis). The accused even tried to man-handle the Guard but was boldly overcome by the Forest guard and caught on the spot along with the timber.
Meanwhile, the Forest guard alerted the other Forest field staff of adjoining areas and a team of Forest field staff and police led by the Range Officer Bani immediately rushed to the spot and launched a search operation. After the interrogation of the culprit and the inputs gathered, the team of Forest and Police searched the premises (cattle shed) owned by one Ganesh, son of . Thakur Dass, resident of Kathal, in Bani and seized the remaining timber. Both the accused have been arrested and kept in custody.
A Forest offence u/s 26F and Section 69 read with Sec 4-b was registered and seizure was made u/s 52 of IFA of 1927. A total 11 scantlings to the tune of 7.24 CFT was seized and brought to the Bani office of Forest Range. A further enquiry has been initiated to know about the source of timber.
It is pertinent to mention that the forest fringe communities and locals of the areas have recently been sensitized through various rounds of meetings led by DFO Basohli and Range officer concerned not to get involved in any such activity and support the department in their efforts to curb this menace of the felling the forest trees.
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