KRISHNAGIRI: Residents of a tribal village near Urigam accused forest department officials of harassing and abusing them on Thursday night when they conducted a programme on crime against wildlife. The Forest department however refuted the charge and said their officers were given a hostile reception by the villagers.
C Sudha (29) of Earannadoddi village near Urigam told TNIE, “Around 8 pm on Thursday, forest department staff came to our village and one staff member asked a chair to conduct a meeting. I refused. Later, when I was standing in front of the house, Kumar, a forest department staff pushed me inside the house and I was injured near my hip and shoulder. They then asked about my husband who had gone to nearby Bilikal village. Then they asked if we had any explosive materials and conducted a search in the grain pot and found nothing. All along, another staff stood on my leg. I got admitted at Denkanikottai government hospital on Saturday and was discharged on Sunday afternoon.”
Her sister-in-law Thaimuthamma said villagers who had gone to Bilikal village then returned and argued with the forest department staff and laid siege on the forest vehicle.
When contacted, the forest department staff said, “Due to recent wild boar poaching in Urigam forest range using a country-made bomb, a special patrol team led by ranger P Senthil Kumar visited Urigam, Muthikarai, and Earannadoddi to conduct awareness about human-animal conflict and to prevent wildlife crime."
"We did not enter any house, as alleged by the people. After our vehicle went under siege, Urigam forest ranger S Murali reached the spot and pacified the people. He explained the purpose of the visit by forest department staff," he said.
“Since people return home from work in the evening after work, we decided to conduct the awareness programme at that time,” an officer added.
N Tamilvanan (48), a forester from Urigam forest range, lodged a complaint against 11 persons including Sudha at Anchetti police station, and they were booked.
Meanwhile, Sudha lodged a complaint against four forest department staff members and they were booked as well.