One booked for felling of sandalwood trees in Kangra

Palampur, February 5

The police have registered a case against Punjab Singh, a resident of Rakkar, over illegal felling of sandalwood trees at a government forest in the Dehra Gopipur division of Kangra district. The police had also recovered 29 kg sandalwood from his possession.

Divisional Forest Officer Sunny said the Forest Department had lodged an FIR at the Rakkar police station. He added that since the demarcation of land had not been completed, an FIR had to be registered.

“I am personally supervising the investigation and due cooperation is being extended to the police to make more arrests,” the officer added.

He said besides the police, a team from the Forest Department was also investigating the case. Stumps of 12 sandalwood trees had been found in the forest so far.

Sunny said sandalwood has high export value and is a prohibited item for export as it is included in the list of the “Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora”. The DFO added that culprits would not be spared and no illegal felling would be allowed in the area.