9 trees chopped in Kamalpura forest area, police register case

Amritsar, April 22

Several persons chopped nine eucalyptus and sheesham trees from Kamalpura forest in Ramdas area on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday.

When the forest guard tried to stop them, the culprits, armed with weapon, scuffled with him and ran away the chopped wood.

Following a complaint lodged by the Forest Department, the police have booked around 10 persons, four of them by name. Four of those booked were identified as Sukhwinder Singh, Tarlochan Singh and Sukha Singh, all residents of Jatta village, and Najar of Mehmad Mandrawala.

Gulraj Singh, forest guard and in-charge of the Kamalpura forest beat, said last night the Forest Department got a specific input that some persons were chopping trees in Kamalpura forest area. He said when he reached the spot, some persons fled the spot taking away the wood with them while others entered into a scuffle and threatened to kill him. Later, they also fled the spot taking advantage of darkness.

The forest guard said the accused were armed with axes and electric cutters for chopping trees. Kamalpura forest reserve is spread across 1,100 acres in Ramdass area. He said incidents of axing trees by unscrupulous elements were regular.

The police have registered a case under Sections 379 (theft), 186 (disrupting government servant from discharging his duty), 353 (assaulting and disrupting government servant from discharging his duty), 506 (criminal intimidation) and other relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code against the suspects at the Ramdas police station. Further investigations were in progress.

Accused enter into scuffle with guard

• Last night, the Forest Department got a specific input that some persons were chopping trees in Kamalpura forest area. When the forest guard reached the spot, some persons fled the spot taking away the wood with them while others entered into a scuffle and threatened to kill him. Later, they also fled the spot taking advantage of darkness.
• The accused were armed with axes and electric cutters.
• The police have booked around 10 persons. Four of them were identified as Sukhwinder Singh, Tarlochan Singh and Sukha Singh, all residents of Jatta village, and Najar of Mehmad Mandrawala.