Kalpetta range officer suspended in Sugandhagiri tree felling case

KOZHIKODE: Kalpetta range officer K Neethu has been suspended in the incident of felling and smuggling 126 trees from Sugandhagiri forest land in Wayanad. The order by additional principal chief conservator of forests (APCCF) Pramod G Krishnan was issued on the basis of vigilance inquiry report citing serious irregularities.

An explanation has been sought from DFO Shajna Karim. Further action will be taken once this is received. North CCF has been entrusted to take action against other officials. A high-level investigation report released said 18 forest officials, including a divisional forest officer and two range officers, were guilty in the incident. Forest Minister A K Saseendran had directed the additional chief secretary forest to take immediate action against them.

The report said forest watcher R Johnson received a bribe of Rs 52,000 from the accused and the forest department employees showed the trees to be felled to the contractor. In the report, there were allegations of permission to fell trees without any inspections, cases were registered and criminals were allowed to smuggle wood and the real culprits were not brought to justice.

Among them, Kalpetta section forest officer K K Chandran, beat forest officers Saji Prasad, M K Vinod Kumar, watchers Johnson and Balan are already under suspension.