Mob led by forest mafia demolishes Chapala forest beat office

From a Correspondent

GAON, March 17 : A mob of local villagers of Chapala area, with weapons in their hands and led by  local forest mafias and close associates of a powerful minister of the district, demolished a government forest beat office at Chapala on Tuesday morning around 9 am.

The mob was on a rampage. Two forest guards were attacked and they sustained serious injuries. The mob also destroyed an official vehicle kept inside the office campus. According to sources, the forest officials had information that some timber mafia goons were cutting some valuable trees in Hadhaddi forest area on Monday night. Forest officials and guards went in search of the timber mafia and when they tried to apprehend the goons, a scuffle followed in which Bhas Bherua (35) and Bijoy Tanti were seriously wounded.

Soon after the incident, the villagers of the area came out and blocked the Beat Office on Tuesday morning. In a fit of rage they demolished the office, damaged an official vehicle and wounded two forest guards who are on duty at that time in the office. The injured guards have been identified as kul Das and Toufik Rahman.

Meanwhile, senior forest officials visited the spot and tried to bring the situation under control but when this did not happen, police and paramilitary forces were called in. The police and paramilitary forces led by ASP (Head QW) Hitesh Ray e arrived and brought the situation under control, sources added. The forest officials have lodged an FIR against Subhash Sarma in connection with the incident.