KADAPPA: Eleven Red Sander woodcutters from Tamil Nadu, who were caught by Rajampet forest department officials while moving in the forest area and confined in a forest quarter, managed to escape by breaking the window grills of the quarters on the wee hours of Saturday.
According to officials, on credible information about the movement of red sander woodcutters moving in the Rollamadugu forest area, forest staff took up combing in the forest area two days back and took 11 woodcutters into custody. On Friday, they were brought to the Rajampet town and as there was no special cell or room to keep them in custody, they were locked up in a room in the forest quarters for further questioning.
A group of forest staff was put on guard in a room adjacent to the quarters where the woodcutters were locked up. Forest officials said around 1 am when the forest staff went into deep sleep, the woodcutters bent the rear side window grills of the quarters and managed to escape. The forest staff found the woodcutters missing from the quarters today morning only and informed the higher-ups.
A massive hunt is launched by the joint teams of local police, forest staff and the Anti-Red Sander Task Force personnel in Rajampet forest area, town, and nearby areas to nab the escaped woodcutters. "A hunt is on and we will nab them soon,'' Rajampet Divisional Forest Officer Khader Basha said.
Meanwhile, sources said some of the associates of the 11 woodcutters who managed to escape were in the custody of the forest officials of Sanipai beat and they are being questioned to know the details of the escaped woodcutters.