THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Two officials of the forest department were arrested in the incident of slapping a fake case on a tribal youth for wild meat smuggling. The arrested are first accused, Kizhukanam Section Officer B Anil Kumar and Beet Forest Officer V C Lenin. The action is after the high court rejected the anticipatory bail plea of the accused.

The Upputhura Police arrested Lenin from his house in Thiruvananthapuram as per the directive of Peerumedu DySP. V Anil Kumar reached the Upputhara police station and surrendered Sunday morning.

The forest department officials filed a fake case against Puthenpurakkal Sarun Saji (24) of Idukki, Kannampadi Mulla tribal colony. The fake case was registered by a team led by Kizhukanam section forest officer on September 20 in 2022. He was arrested for allegedly trying to sell wild meat after carrying it in an auto. The youth told the locals that he was framed in a fake case after released from his remand of ten days. A probe was ordered against the officials as part of protests and legal fights conducted.

It was found later that the charges against Sarun were false. Then seven officers including the section forest officer were suspended from service. The police filed a case against 13 forest department officials on the complaint filed by Sarun Saji demanding an investigation on the fake case. The suspended officers were later reinstated.