The Khariar police and forest officials during a joint operation recovered teak logs worth more than Rs 1 lakh from the house of Khariar Division Forester Kritiman Panda on Saturday.
The teak logs had been felled to make space for widening of the National Highway near Bandhpada. Instead of taking the logs to the range office, the Forester had transported those to his house.
“It is illegal and we are initiating departmental action against the Forester,” said the Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF), Khariar. The locals have resented that no theft case was yet to be lodged against Panda. “If legal action is not taken against the Forester, we will directly file a case in court,” said villagers who had reported the matter to police.