Following the arrest of industrialist Samir Thapar and 15 others for forest trespass, illegal possession of firearms and alcohol, different types of meat in the Kolhuchaud forest rest house on December 31, the Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi has written to the Pauri district senior superintendent of police commending his action. In her letter to the SSP, she has commended him and the State Government for “making the choice to protect and serve”. Taking serious cognisance of the episode, the State Government has suspended the lansdowne divisional forest officer Mayank Shankar Jha apart from which a departmental inquiry has also been ordered into the whole episode.
In the letter written to the Pauri SSP Mukhtar Mohsin, the union minister stated, “I am happy that you have taken a firm step to end trespassing and poaching in the forests of Uttarakhand. By your prompt action, you have not only brought habitual offenders to book but also prevented poaching of wildlife. I hope that this will come as a lesson to many others who many be breaking the law. It is officers like you who make the country proud. I congratulate you and the government of Uttarakhand for making the choice to protect and serve,” wrote the union minister.
Meanwhile, the court of the additional chief judicial magistrate in Kotdwar rejected the bail pleas of the 16 persons incluing JCT mills chairman Samir Thapar and managing director of Cargo Motors, Jayant Nanda on Tuesday. The State Government has suspended the lansdowne DFO Mayank Shekhar Jha in view of the blatant violation of various forest laws on reserved forest area and that too in the Corbett tiger landscape. Additionally, the Shivalik circle chief conservator of forests (CCF) Bhuwan Chandra and conservator of forests Meenakshi Joshi are also inquiring into the case.
It is pertinent to mention here that the lansdowne forest division is also considered extremely sensitive because of its big cat population and proximity to the Corbett Tiger Reserve. The episode in question has elicited focus on allegations by environmental activists and locals about forests of the state being regularly and blatantly encroached upon in the name of tourism which has not only contributed to man animal conflict but also caused irreparable depletion of wildlife in the forests.
Director general of police MA Ganapathy said that the offenders had stayed illegally in reserved forest with one of them also posting a photograph of their activity on social media. He said that based on specific information, he had ordered Pauri SSP to act by the law. Apart from the firearms, live rounds and vehicles seized by the police, the different types of meat found at the site have been sent to the Wildlife Institute of India to ascertain whether it is canned meat as claimed by the accused or bush meat of wild animals poached in the area.