The Hindu : Kerala / Kozhikode News : Congress seeks judicial probe

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Friday, Apr 25, 2008
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Kerala - Kozhikode

Congress seeks judicial probe

Special Correspondent

Forcible release of CPI(M) activists

They were detained for smuggling protected tree
Says police
trying to
underplay crime

Kozhikode: The former Minister and Congress leader K.K. Ramachandran has demanded a judicial inquiry into the forcible release of a group of CPI(M) workers from the office of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) in Manathavady.

The CPI(M) workers were detained on charges of smuggling out large quantities of bark of the protected “idinjil” tree from the forests at Makkimala in north Wayanad.

Mr. Ramachandran said in a statement that a judicial probe had become necessary as he suspected that the police were trying to lessen the seriousness of the case.

Complaints differ

He suspected such a move as a serious difference had been found in a complaint filed by the Forest Range Officer, Begur, before the Judicial First Class Magistrate, Mananthavadi, and a complaint submitted to the police.

The complaint before the court stated that 10 bundles of “idingil” bark were seized while the complaint lodged before the police stated seizure of 200 kg of the bark of various trees.

The difference had serious implications, Mr. Ramachandran said.

Ban on collection

The law prohibited collection of only the bark of the idingil tree while there was no ban on the Adivasis from collecting the bark of many other varieties of trees.

The accused would be guilty of violating the law only if they had collected the bark of “idingil”.

Mr. Ramachandran alleged the police had persuaded forest officials to make the change in the police complaint in order to lessen the gravity of the offence and pointed out that a divisional forest officer had complained of the police putting pressure on him to release the accused from custody.

Collecting the bark of “idingil” is a punishable offence under the Kerala Forest Act.

MLA named

Among those named in the complaint filed by the Forest Range Officer of Begur before the Judicial First Class Magistrate in Manathavadi on April 3 is K.C. Kunhiraman, MLA.

They have been accused of forcibly releasing nine persons who were being held in custody of the Forest Department for allegedly smuggling the bark of a protected tree. The incident happened on April 2.

Mr. Ramachandran alleged that a gang that used Adivasis for smuggling valuable bark of trees was active in Wayanad.

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