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Corbett tree felling: Uttarakhand Vigilance conducts raids to nab IFS officer
A senior official of the Uttarakhand vigilance said that the department will begin the process to attach the properties of the accused IFS officer if he continues to evade arrest
The Uttarakhand vigilance department is conducting raids to nab suspended Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer Kishan Chand, who is on the run in a case related to illegal constructions and felling of trees in Corbett Tiger Reserve, officials familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The Vigilance will begin the process to attach the properties of the accused if he continues to evade arrest, they added.
“The IFS officer is on the run in the case pertaining to illegal constructions and felling of trees in Corbett Tiger Reserve. We have been conducting raids at possible locations within and outside the state and trying our best to nab the IFS officer. If he evades arrest, we will begin the process to confiscate his properties,” said Prahlad Narayan Meena, superintendent of police (SP), Vigilance sector, Haldwani.
On December 1, the Uttarakhand high court rejected a petition by Chand seeking the quashing of a first information report (FIR) against him in connection with illegal constructions and felling of trees in Corbett Tiger Reserve.
Chand had sought quashing of the FIR contending that the allegations against him were baseless and all the work done by him had the consent of his superior officers in the forest department.
The Uttarakhand vigilance department registered the FIR against Chand and others in August under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, Forest Act and Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the Haldwani sector of vigilance after getting approval from the government.
In April, taking action against illegal constructions and felling of trees in Corbett, the state government suspended two IFS officers - JS Suhag, the then chief wildlife warden and chief executive officer (CAMPA) and Chand, the then divisional forest officer Kalagarh Tiger Reserve-- while CTR director Rahul (who goes by his first name) was removed from his post and attached to the office of principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) Dehradun.
PCCF Rajiv Bhartari was removed from his post and posted as chairman of the state biodiversity board in November last year.
In January this year, the high court directed the state’s chief secretary and principal secretary of forests to take action against the officers found guilty in the case of illegal constructions and felling of trees in Corbett’s Pakhro and Morghati areas and submit an action taken report to the court.
On April 17, the state government served show cause notice to Rahul, director CTR for illegal construction and felling of trees for the proposed tiger safari in CTR. He was directed to reply to the notice within 15 days.
On October 27 last year, the high court while taking suo motu cognizance of media reports over illegal constructions and felling of trees in CTR, directed the Union government and the principal chief conservator of forests to inspect CTR with regard to the allegations.
