Daijiworld Media Network – Sullia (MS)
Sullia, Mar 30: The forest department initiated legal action against the illegal felling and transportation of trees in Shantinagar, located in Kasaba village of the taluk.
The accused include the landowner, K. Krishnappa Naika of Shantinagar, wood merchant Rifayi Halegate, crane driver Gopalakrishna from Jayanagara, and truck driver Jagadish from Shanti village, Hassan. Forest officials promptly arrested them.
During the operation, officials seized one truck, one crane, and a wooden log measuring 7.946 square meters. The combined value of the confiscated vehicles and trees is estimated to be Rs 15 lac.
The operation was conducted by DCF Sowmya, P N Raghavendra Prasad, forest beat guards Geetha and Pushpavati, Ningappa Koppa, and vehicle driver Purushottam, under the guidance of DCF Antony Mariyappa and ACF Praveen Kumar Shetty, with further investigation being carried out by zonal forest officer Manjunath.