Khair wood mafia tries to run over forest guards, cops in Yamunanagar

Shiv Kumar Sharma

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Yamunanagar, August 3

A team comprising cops and officials of the Forest Department had a narrow escape when members of a khair wood mafia allegedly tried to crush them with a truck and a utility vehicle near Baniyawala village here.

When the team members chased the truck, its driver managed to flee after leaving the vehicle. The team recovered 298 logs of illegal khair wood from it. On the complaint of forester Devvrat, a case was registered on August 1 against 19 persons under Sections 32, 33 and 52 of the Indian Forest Act; Sections 27, 29 and 51 of the Wildlife Protection Act; and Sections 379 (theft) and 307 (attempt to murder) of the IPC at the Pratap Nagar police station.

The complainant said they got information at 1.50 am on August 1 that a truck loaded with illegal khair wood would come from Kansali village side. He said a team comprising forest guards Anuj and Yogesh, Head Constable Kuldeep, Special Police Officer Jasbir Singh put up a barricade near Baniyawala village at 2.40 am. “After some time, a motorcycle and a car came. When we tried to stop the vehicles, the drivers managed to escape,” the complainant said. The complainant said, “Later, a utility vehicle came. When we tried to flag it down, its driver tried to crush us under the vehicle. Soon after, a truck came. The truck driver also tried to run us over.”

He said they chased the truck, but the driver stopped the truck near Mujafat village. He managed to flee.

“We took the truck into our possession and recovered 298 logs of khair wood from it. The wood was stolen by cutting trees illegally from the forest area of the district,” the complainant alleged.

He said the 298 logs of khair wood were worth about Rs 5 lakh in the domestic market.

According to information, khair wood is used to prepare ‘katha’, which is used as an ingredient in ‘paan’ (betel nut). It is also used in many ayurvedic medicines.

Smuggled wood worth Rs 5L seized

• When intercepted, drivers of utility vehicle and truck try to run over guards, cops
• The truck driver abandons the vehicle, flees
• Illegal khair wood worth Rs 5 lakh seized from vehicle
• Khair used for medicinal purposes & to prepare ‘katha’