LUCKNOW: A team of forest officials was attacked by villagers in
Itaunja over ownership of a piece of land.
At around 12.30pm, Bakshi Ka Talab forest ranger Manoj Singh Gautam, along with forest guard Mubarak Ali, his driver Kailash Chand and forest department gardener Sitaram reached Umariya village to plant saplings.
As soon as Sitaram started digging land to plant Sheesham saplings some villagers surrounded him. They raised objection and asked him to prove his identity. Gautam, Ali and Chand intervened on seeing Sitaram surrounded by villagers. Villagers claimed that the land belongs to them and they won't allow forest officials to plant saplings on it.
The officials fired two rounds in air and informed police. Gautam, Chand and Sitaram sustained injuries in the scuffle.
An FIR was registered against one Jalalu, Amarkant Awasthi and 25 unidentified villagers on charges of rioting, voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty and causing hurt.
Representative image