Man behind felling of 400 trees in Koti Forest Range nabbed

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 20

After dithering for 10 days, the police today arrested the lone accused Bhup Ram for allegedly axing 400 trees in the Koti Forest Range.

All trees were cut on 40 bighas (eight acres) of forest land by the accused with the help of machine and sleepers of the felled trees and 33 bags of coal converted from the logs were recovered by the police.

The accused had claimed that he had cut the trees on his own land but the verification of revenue records revealed that the trees on forest land were felled without any permission from the authorities. Even if the trees were on private land, the offence was grave as the permission was required for it, the police said.

The police had registered a case under Sections 32, 33, 41 and 42 of the Indian Forest Act and Section 379 of the IPC on January 12 on the complaint of Koti Range forest officer Anu Thakur.

The accused had also claimed that he had got permission from mining officer, forest officials and other departments also and the police were also investigating whether there was any connivance of the officials in the offence.

“We arrested Bhup Ram after ascertaining from the revenue records that it was a forest land and besides locating stems of felled trees, sleepers extracted from the trees and 33 bags of coal, produced by burning the logs, was also recovered,” said DSP City Dinesh Sharma, adding that the accused had confessed to the crime but maintained that it was his private land.

The accused reportedly wanted to install a stone crusher and clear the area to get permissions from various authorities, Sharma said, adding that all aspects of the case were being investigated. Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur also said strict action would be taken against the offenders.

His claims 

• The accused had claimed that he had cut the trees on his own land but the verification of revenue records revealed that the trees on forest land were felled without any permission from the authorities 
• He reportedly wanted to install a stone crusher and clear the area to get permissions from various authorities