TIRUPATI: With the forest officials and the Red Sanders Anti-Smuggling Task Force (RSASTF) taking all steps to curb the smuggling activity, the woodcutters too are adopting innovative methods to give police a slip and enter into the Seshachalam forest. On Thursday, a group of woodcutters tried to hoodwink the police by entering into the forest in the guise of Ayyappa devotees. Those who take Ayyappa Deeksha wear black clothes and visit temples during the deeksha period, which starts from November and extends till January.
The new way of entering into the forest in the guise of Ayyappa devotees came close on the heels of some Tamil Nadu-based woodcutters who reached Tirumala hill shrine as devotees of Lord Venkateswara. Some woodcutters mingled with common devotees on the hill shrine of Tirumala last month and quietly entered into the forest to cut down red sanders trees. But, they were nabbed by the security personnel in the forest.
On Thursday, the task force noticed a group of woodcutters clad in black clothes entering into the forest from Krishnapuram village near Yerpedu at Srikalahasti road.
The task force led by RSI Vijaya Narasimhulu, however, grew suspicious on seeing the woodcutters in the guise of devotees as there is no Ayyappa temple in the vicinity. Without intercepting the group of Ayyappa devotees, the task force followed the group. After getting confirmed that the woodcutters were in the guise of Ayyappa devotees, the task force tried to nab them. But the woodcutters managed to escape. Meanwhile, another group of woodcutters tried to enter into the forest from Ithepalli-Rangampet road at Gurrappagaripalli in Chandragiri mandal on Thursday morning. When the task force tried to nab the woodcutters, it came under attack.
The woodcutters rained stones on the security personnel. Constables Srinivas alias Sreenu and Mutyalu were injured in stone-pelting. The police opened two rounds of fire into the air to quell the mob. Subramani, a woodcutter of Salem district, was caught by the task force. Ration, knives, axes, black clothes and other things were seized from him.
Rain coats seized as rain in Rayalaseema has been forecast under the influence of Gaja cyclonic storm, it is learnt that rain coats were provided to the woodcutters in the deep forest to cut down red sanders trees. The police seized some rain coats and burnt them in the forest area.