LAKHIMPUR, March 3: Forest Department in Lakhimpur district seized a pile of smuggled timber worth more than rupees twenty five thousand on Friday. A team of forest officials led by four officers of the Lakhimpur Range Forest Office seized the pile of timber which was kept hidden in a timber depot owned by a timber merchant med Bhabit Saikia. The depot is located at Charaimoria near North Lakhimpur town. As per information from a reliable source, the team of forest official arrived at the depot and launched the operation to seize the timber. During the operation some employees of the saw meal of the merchant physically assaulted the forest officials causing injury to an officer. Police from North Lakhimpur PS arrived at the spot and provided security to the forest officials. However, tensed situation lasted for a long while in the area till the Forest department brought the pile of timber to its office with the help of three tractors. The Forest department filed an FRI against Bhabit Saikia at North Lakhimpur PS in the matter of the physical assault on forest officials by Saikia’s employees.
