Khair trees axed, 1 booked

Tribune News Service
Ropar, April 19

A day after Ropar Wildlife Department officials recovered 89 quintals of khair wood being smuggled out of the state, Forest Department officials recovered huge quantity of khair trees allegedly felled illegally at Cheekna village near here yesterday.

A case under Sections 379 and 411 of the IPC and Sections 29, 32 and 33 of the Forest Act and Sections 4 and 5 of the Punjab Land Preservation Act has been registered against the accused identified as Gurnam Singh.

District Forest Officer Amit Chauhan said following a tip-off, a raid was conducted on the land of Gurnam Singh in Cheekna village in the night, recovering huge quantity of khair wood.

He said the accused felled khair trees in surrounding areas illegally. Gurnam Singh was booked last month also for a similar offence. Gurnam Singh, however, denied the allegations and said t he had felled the trees with the permission of the Forest Department.