Two Forest Officials Trying to Prevent Encroachment Beaten Up, Suffer Serious Injuries

Hyderabad:Two forest department officials who tried to stop a midnight encroachment attempt of a forest area in Eturnagaram wildlife sanctuary in Mulugu district are now in a hospital with serious injuries following an attack by the land-grabbers. The attack took place near the area where over 50,000 trees had been uprooted in a freak weather event.

Forest beat officer Sharat Chandra and forest section officer Vinod Kumar suffered lacerations on their heads after they were beaten with a heavy steel wrench by the owner of an earthmover that was being used to uproot trees and level the ground.

The condition of the two officers, admitted to a private hospital in Mulugu, was stable, forest minister Konda Surekha said after meeting them on Friday. The minister said strict action would be taken against the attackers, and assured the families of the officers that every possible help will be provided to ensure their quick and complete recovery.

Three persons, including earthmover owner Saroj Reddy, a resident of Tadvai, have been arrested and an FIR has been filed with charges including attempt to murder, Mulugu District Forest Officer Rahul Jadhav said.

The injured officers were on a patrol in Tadvai range where around 50,000 trees had fallen on August 31 following a weather event, following which Principal Chief Conservator of Forests R.M. Dobriyal had instructed increased patrolling to prevent people from taking advantage of the fallen trees, or to drive cattle for grazing in the area.

While on patrol, the two officers received information that trees were being uprooted and land being levelled in the Damarevai beat of the forest. When they reached the spot, they asked the earthmover driver and cleaner to go with them to the department office in Tadvai. They also asked for more forest personnel, who rushed to the spot in a jeep.

Beat officer Chandra got on to the earthmover along with the driver and they were on their way to the office in Tadvai when the owner arrived and asked the driver to leave, saying he would drive the machine. As they were nearing Tadvai, the owner pulled out a heavy wrench and hit the beat officer on his head following which the latter fell on the road and became unconscious.

Noticing this, forest section officer Vinod Kumar who was following in the jeep along with his other colleagues rushed to the earthmover only to be attacked by Saroj Reddy with the wrench repeatedly on the head. In the process of saving himself, he tried to fend off the blows with his hands resulting in four of his fingers suffering multiple fractures, forest officials said.

Saroj Reddy, along with the cleaner and the driver of the earthmover, were subsequently arrested and an FIR was filed against them, Jadhav said.

The forest minister said the government would not watch quietly when forest officials and staff are attacked and added that she will take up the matter of forest protection and steps to be taken with the Chief Minister soon.