Gang attacks forest staff, releases seized granite stone-laden lorry

KRISHNAGIRI: In a midnight drama that unfolded last night in Uppukottai village in the district, a seven-member gang who came in two cars managed to release a lorry which was seized and being taken to Rayakottai Forest Range office. Forest officials said the gang also attacked two forest staff and decamped with their mobile phones and wallets.

Rayakottai Forest Ranger C Murugesan said that a team headed by Forester G Yogeshwaran (40) was on vehicle check duty at Chinna Kothur Village on Friday night. The team intercepted a granite stone-laden lorry, heading towards Gurubarapalli, and found that the driver did not have proper documents. 

Following this, two anti-poaching watchers - A Durai Sakthi (22) and M Indrajith (21) - and a Forest Guard K R Selvaraj boarded the lorry and instructed the driver to take the vehicle to Rayakottai Forest Range office, around 50 km away.

After reaching Gurubarapalli, a distance of around 36 km, the driver informed the forest team that the vehicle cannot run on hilly region and suggested an alternative route to the range office via Ennekoll and Madhepatti. On being informed, the Forester Yogeshwaran, who was tailing the lorry in his vehicle all along, left for the range office. 

Even as Yogeshwaran was waiting at the office, the three forest staff managed to reach the office late in the night without the vehicle. “The staff said the lorry was intercepted at Uppukuttai and they were overpowered by a seven-member gang who came on two cars. In the incident, two anti-poaching watchers were attacked with iron rods,” Murugesan said. 

The injured staff were sent to Krishnagiri District Government Headquarters Hospital. Based on a complaint, Krishnagiri taluk police registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. An investigation is on.