8 forest dept officials attacked by villagers in Karnataka

The forest department personnel were allegedly attacked by villagers, who were opposing a survey conducted by the department of the encroached forest land in Belagavi district

Belagavi

A total of 16 vehicles were damaged by the villagers. (HT Photo)

Eight personnel of the state forest department, including the range forest officer (RFO) were allegedly attacked by villagers, who were opposing a survey conducted by the department of the encroached forest land in Belagavi district, officials said on Monday.

According to the officials, the villagers of the Gokak taluk attacked the forest department personnel on October 8 with sticks and pelted stones at them. A total of 16 vehicles, including two department and 14 private vehicles parked in the taluk were damaged in the stone pelting incident, officials added.

The staff sustained and were rushed to the government hospital at Gokak. They were discharged late on October 8, officials said.

After two people from Yalapatti village who allegedly engaged in stone pelting were taken to the police station in Gokak, about 20-villagers took six forest personnels into a nearby forest zone and held them captive,threatening to release them after police release the arrested villagers.

Gokak deputy superintendent of police (DySP) DH Mulla said that after releasing both the accused, they were taken into custody. “We agreed to their demand and released them, as we were sure arresting the released accused and the others who pelted stones at the staff”.

The deputy SP said that an FIR has been filed against 19 people under IPC sections 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) , 326 (Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 307(Attempt to murder).

A team of about 10-member forest officials headed by RFO Sanjeev Savasuddi, along with of local police, had gone to conduct a survey of the encroached land at Yalapatti village under Khanagoan Reserve forest area in Gokak taluk on October 8 evening. The villagers protested against conducting the survey and pelted stones at the forest department personnel, officials said.

Gokak Range DFO Shivanand Nayakwadi said, “More than 500-acres of land meant as Reserve Social Forest area has allegedly been acquired by the villagers. The villagers pelted stones at our staff who were only surveying the illegally acquired position of the land. We never told them to give back the encroached land.”

A group of about 20 villagers of Rajankatti village said that more than 50 villages in Gokak taluk has Social Forest Reserve land and that they have been cultivating the land since the time of their forefathers. Villagers added that the forest department did not serve notice to them about the acquired land and now it has started the process to evaculate them by conducting survey of the land.

RFO Savasuddi, who headed the assignment told HT that his team about 8-months ago retrieved the encroached land by fencing it. About 350-acre of the total 500-acre of illegally acquired land was taken back. To expand the forest zone, the department has started r plant saplings in the forest area. However, people dwelling in the edge of the hilly area removed the planted saplings and covered the holes with mud and stones, he added.