Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan on Monday said the government’s attempt to insulate a top forest official from prosecution in the South Muttil illegal rosewood tree-felling case pointed to the involvement of the State’s elected political executive in the timber loot.
Mr. Satheesan said a person who held top political office in the State and hailed from Dharmadam in Kannur was behind the illegal tree felling. “I dare Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to reveal the Dharmadam link,” he said.
Mr. Satheesan said an internal inquiry by the Forest Department had found the officer guilty of abetting the illegal tree felling.
It had sent the report for further action to the Chief Minister’s Office. The file appeared to have reached a dead end. The CMO merely transferred the official to a new post and insulated him from criminal prosecution. It had protected the forest official to conceal the real power who orchestrated the timber loot.
Mr. Satheesan said the diligence of a forest enforcer had resulted in the detection of the illegal felling of hundreds of ancient rosewood trees on assigned land in Wayanad. The forest mafia had used the cover of a dubious order issued hastily by the Revenue Department last year to fell protected and endangered trees on land allocated to farmers.
The illegal loggers paid the farmers a pittance for the valuable trees on their farmland. The Revenue Department order provided them with legal cover. The racketeers employed tribal people to harvest the hardwood trees.
When the racket came to light, the top forest official attempted to discipline the officer who detected the forest wealth loot. He also covered for the illegal fellers.
