Forest Officer attack: Insider involvement suspected

Bengaluru: The investigations into the attack on forest officials in Bandipur Tiger Reserve indicate the involvement of insiders in permitting the arrested poachers to escape from the clutches of the raiding forest team. The incident had occurred three days ago at the Kalasuru Gate of N Begur Range of the Tiger Reserve. Forest officials had arrested notorious poacher Sundar, 40, with two associates and two other villagers for trying to attack the raiding party. The officials were carrying the three poachers in a vehicle.

The investigating team has learnt that the forest officials present at the gate blocked the vehicle which was carrying the poachers. Though some of the foresters at the check-post recognized the officials in the jeep they deliberately delayed opening the gate, awaiting a gathering of other villagers to try a rescue attempt of the arrested poachers.

“Members from the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF) who were seated in the vehicle came down and forcibly opened the gate during the attack. It clearly shows the involvement of local foresters in N Begur. At least four forest officials in N Begur, one of whom is a conservation award winner. are major supporters of Sundar, who is the main accused,” revealed one of the forest officials who was present during the raid.

Mr H C Kantharaj, Director of the Reserve, admitted that the involvement of some forest officials has come to their notice. “The court has remanded the accused to imprisonment for the next 15 days. However, we are trying to investigate all the angles in the incident. An ACF-ranked officer has been asked to conduct a detailed investigation even as police are doing their part,” Mr Kantharaj added.

On Thursday, the police arrested six more persons for attacking forest officials on duty. All of them were picked up from Malada Haadi in N Begur.

The wildlife conservationists, however, pointed out that the foresters were attacked because of wrong planning and lack of professionalism in handling raiding cases among the new foresters. “The first mistake was, the forest team should not have used the road from the village while ferrying the poaching accused.

They could have driven through the forest area and reached the magistrate. Also the distance between two vehicles in which the forest team went for a raid was more than 500 metres and that was how the second vehicle in which the accused were seated was able to attack the foresters,” pointed out a conservationist.

The booty which foresters got at Sundar’s house was a major haul. It included 159 kilos of antlers, of which 24 were large male spotted deer and 13 were sambar deer.

• The investigations into the attack on forest officials in Bandipur Tiger Reserve indicate the involvement of insiders in permitting the arrested poachers to escape from the clutches of the raiding forest team
• The incident had occurred three days ago at the Kalasuru Gate of N Begur Range of the Tiger Reserve. Forest officials had arrested notorious poacher Sundar, 40, with two associates and two other villagers for trying to attack the raiding party. The officials were carrying the three poachers in a vehicle