Forest officials in Kalahandi district have raised eyebrows as Vigilance sleuths conducted raids on houses of one of them following arrest of three IRBN personnel in a wood plank theft case.
Notably, officials under the north range division in Kalahandi had on November 30 arrested two drivers and a Habildar of the 9th IRBN at Jaring on the charge of transporting 34 pieces of hand-sawed teak planks in a departmental bus. The vehicle had been intercepted near Kesinga railway crossing by forest officials.
On December 1, the accused persons were produced before the JMFC, Kesinga where their bail pleas were rejected. However, the accused persons revealed before the Magistrate that on the order of the Commandant the goods were being transported to his home at Keonjhar
The court ordered the forest officials to produce the Commandant. On behalf of the accused, lawyer Chhabilal Nial said the court granted bail to three police personnel on December 5. He said that the Commandant has been summoned to appear before the court. On December 6, a senior IPS office visited the office of the 9th IRBN at Jaring and allegedly conducted an inquiry into the matter. However, on December 10, Vigilance sleuths raided the house of Range Officer Dinabandhu Meher at Balangir on a complaint of amassment of disproportionate assets by him.
A forest officer alleged that police department raised their eyebrows when their staffs were sent to judicial custody. He alleged that the morals of the officers will come down if such types of action are taken against them.
A social worker requesting anonymity said while both police and forest officials resisted, at least corruption cases came to fore.