Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, May 28: The Forest team from Poonch Division today foiled a major attempt of illegal construction of a road through forest in Dhrati area (Compartment 222/H) of Jhullas Block of Haveli Range.
The team after receiving inputs rushed to the area and nabbed two persons and booked 11 other persons under Forest Act and Forest Conservation Act (FCA). One JCB has also been seized.
Official sources said that DFO Poonch Dr Syeed Nadeem Hussain came to know that some unscrupulous elements have started construction of a road during the night on May 27 in Dhrati area. A team of Forest officials led by Azmat Hussain Shah, Range Officer Haveli, rushed to the spot and arrested two persons namely Mohd Ikhlaq (owner of JCB) and Mohd Razzak (Member Panchayat) who were involved in the construction of the road.
The JCB machine engaged for the construction was also seized. However, 11 other persons involved in the offence managed to flee under the cover of darkness. Before the Forest team could reach the spot the miscreants had managed to construct nearly 100 mt of road in forest land and also damaged six green Oak trees in the process. The operation was carried out under the supervision of DFO Poonch Dr Nadeem and Sameer Bharati, Conservator of Forests, West Circle, Jammu.
When contacted, DFO said that due to the swift action of the department a major damage to the forests was averted as these men were stopped just short of entering thick forest. A case against the two arrested persons and 11 others has already been booked vide FIR No. 34/2016-17 under Sec 2 of J&K Forest Conservation Act and Sec 6 of J&K Forest Act. The arrested persons have been produced before the Magistrate for seeking police remand.
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