While forest and police officials are investigating the alleged felling of centuries-old rosewood trees from private plantations in the Muttil South village limits in Wayanad by misinterpreting a government order, revenue officials on Wednesday morning seized 60 teak trees axed from Puthan Kunnu, near Sulthan Bathery, in Noolpuzha village.
The teak wood, nearly 19 cubic metres, was felled from 0.3265 ha of revenue pattaya land (land earlier under the Revenue Department from which the title-deed holder cannot fell trees reserved to the government) in the possession of A. Shahul Hameed of Puthan Veettil at Puthan Kunnu.
“We have booked a case against him as per the Kerala Land Conservancy Act and issued a notice to appear for a hearing at the office on June 16,” P.S. Unnikrishnan, Sulthan Bathery tahsildar, told The Hindu .
In an investigation, revenue officials found that 60 of the 70 teak trees reserved to the government were axed from the land. The trees, axed in November last year, had been cut into 192 pieces and kept on the private land. The seized wood had been shifted to a timber depot of the Forest Department at Kuppady, Mr. Unnikrishnan said.
The Forest Department also registered a case against the accused as the reserved trees had been axed without its permission.
Rosewood felling
Meanwhile, the police inspected a private plantation near Vazhavatta on the day where as many as 10 rosewood trees were allegedly felled by a timber lobby misinterpreting a government order. The investigation would continue on Thursday, police sources said.
According to the Forest Department, the lobby had felled 202 cubic metres of huge rosewood trees at 42 sites in Muttil South village at low prices. The police have also registered cases against 68 people, including 12 tribespeople, in connection with the incident.
