In a daring act, a timber mafia on early Sunday morning killed a Forester, who was chasing him in the Ghens Range of Bargarh district as the mafia by engaging a group of people was trying to smuggle logs of wood.
The deceased was identified as Aswini Kumar Mohanty (58) of Gangei village of Ambavona block in the district. He was working as a Forester in Ghens range.
On a tip-off, Mohanty and his team chased a log-laden pickup van in a forest area under the Melchamunda police station. While chasing the mafia, the Forester’s vehicle overtook the van and tried to stop it.
The van suddenly ran over the Forester and fled from the spot. Mohanty was taken to the Bargarh District Headquarters Hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
The police have started investigation into the incident.
As the van was numberless, the police were facing difficulty to trace it. “We have got a clue in the case, and we will arrest the accused very soon,” said Bargarh SP Umashankar Das.