THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Two forest officers, who were suspended in connection with the Muttil tree felling case, have been reinstated into service by the Forest Department. V S Vinesh, section forest officer, and E P Sreejith, beat forest officer, of the south Wayanad forest division, were suspended in June by D K Vinod Kumar, Chief Conservator of Forest, Northern circle, Kannur, in connection with felling of rosewood trees in Muttil South village under the south Wayanad forest division.
Their suspension order had said the officers who were on duty at the forest checkpost at Lakkidi in Wayanad on February 3, 2021, failed to discharge their duties by permitting a timber lorry — laden with trees allegedly cut from revenue Pattaya land in various parts of the village by misinterpreting a government order — to cross the checkpost without inspection. The office of the forest minister said officials were reinstated into service after a department-level inquiry.