Forest officials escape gunfire by khair wood mafia in Yamunanagar

A team from the Forest Department had a narrow escape after members of the khair wood mafia allegedly opened fire on them in the reserved forest area near Khizri village, under the jurisdiction of Pratap Nagar police station.

According to Forester Sandeep, who lodged a complaint, the incident occurred late last night when the team received a tip-off about illegal felling of khair trees in the forest.

Acting swiftly, Sandeep and three other forest officials rushed to the spot. “After seeing the Forest Department team coming towards them, they (khair mafia) opened fire on the team members and ran away towards the forest area, taking advantage of the darkness,” he said.

Fortunately, no one was injured. The team later recovered three felled khair trees, along with pieces of wood, an axe, a wood cutter, and other tools left behind by the culprits. “We chased them, but they ran away towards dense fog, taking advantage of the night,” Sandeep said.

Inspector Sachin, SHO of Pratap Nagar police station, confirmed the incident. “We visited the spot and recovered an empty bullet shell. The matter is under investigation and the accused will be arrested soon,” he said.

Sources in the department said incidents of khair wood theft have been on the rise in the district’s forest areas. Despite catching several such cases, forest officials have struggled to prevent the illegal cutting of khair trees.

Khair wood is in high demand as it is used to prepare katha, an ingredient in paan, and is also used in many ayurvedic medicines. The wood fetches between Rs 7,000 to Rs 8,000 per quintal in the market, making it a lucrative target for timber mafias.