BHOPAL: Absconding Deputy ranger Nirmal Ahirwar was arrested by police in Vidisha of Madhya Pradesh in connection with the death of a tribal in firing by a forest patrol team on Tuesday night.
While Ahirwar refused to be on the spot on the day of the incident, six more tribals came ahead claiming to be injured in the firing incident, taking the total number of those injured to nine.
They told police that they went hiding in the jungle when hiring took place. Noteworthy that the government had announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakhs to the family of deceased and Rs 5 lakhs each to those injured in the incident.
Tribal named Chain Singh was killed on the spot. The injured are, Bhagwan Singh, 29, Samandar 24, Rajendra Bhil, 26, Mahendra Singh,22, Road Singh 30, Mahesh Singh 19, Lakhan Singh 28, Sunil 20, Pritam Singh son of Sardar Singh, 28.
ASP Sameer Yadav told TOI that the forester who shot the fire has been identified and is yet to be arrested. Sources informed that Ahirwar had surrendered to the police.
Meanwhile, several videos have gone viral on social media in which a group of men can be seen ferrying fresh cut teak woods on motorbikes. Sources said the footage is of teak smugglers active in the Lateri area. Insiders also informed that police have got major clues regarding an organised gang of timber mafias operating between Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Call details indicate nexus, say sources.
Earlier Divisional Forest officer (DFO) of Vidisha district, Rajbir Singh, was transferred on Thursday and replaced by Ajay Pandey from Raisen district.
On Wednesday, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan had expressed grief over the incident and ordered a judicial probe and suspension of the accused forest staff. They have been booked for murder.
The incident had triggered strong reactions among the local population and forest department staff. Rangers and forest guards in both south and north Lateri division have left their quarters with their families to unknown locations fearing 'undue' police action, say sources.
The Forest Employees' Association has criticized the registration of a murder case against forest staff over what they insist was 'defensive' firing and warned that they may call an indefinite strike.
The incident happened near Katiyapura forest beat, around 80km from Vidisha town and 125km from Bhopal, at 10pm on Tuesday. Police identified the slain tribal as Chain Singh, and those injured as Bhagwan Singh, Rajendra Singh and Rod Singh. All of them are from Raipura village, around 7km from the site of the shooting. The survivors allege that they were shot from behind without provocation.
Vidisha police registered a case of murder at Lateri police station against forest employees, following a complaint from Chain’s brother Preetam Singh. ASP Sameer Yadav said the foresters were booked under IPC sections 302 (murder) 307 (attempt to murder) and 34 (common intention).
Three police teams were constituted to investigate the case and arrest those involved. They had confiscated 14 teak logs and a motorbike from the site of the shooting, say police sources. ASP Sameer Yadav said police have also confiscated the firearms used by forest personnel and sent them for ballistic investigations.
While the three tribals, who survived with gunshot wounds, say the firing was unprovoked, forest officers say the patrol team opened fire in self-defence. Those shot were timber smugglers, who pelted stones at the forest staff when intercepted, forcing the foresters to fire, say officers.
