KOCHI: A 34-year-old tribal woman was shot dead by members of a sandalwood smuggling gang in Idukki on Friday suspecting her to be an informer. The police said the deceased is K Chandrika, a resident of a Panapatti tribal settlement in Marayur.
Kaliyappan, a relative of the victim, has been arrested while two other accused --- both minors --- have been taken into custody.
A sandalwood smuggling case is pending against Kaliyappan.
“Two of the accused are minors. They used a countrymade gun to shoot the woman down. We’ve recovered the weapon and it will be sent for detailed forensic examination,” said Marayur Inspector of Police Sunil S.
As per a preliminary probe, the accused had a fight with the victim suspecting that she had passed on information about the sandalwood smuggling racket to forest officers. The accused were nabbed by the local people and handed over to the police.
The police said the Forest Department was actively pursuing the activities of sandalwood smugglers after a sandalwood tree was reportedly smuggled out from the area by a gang. Based on certain specific information, the department had also raided the area and arrested some members of the smuggling racket.
Following this, the racket suspected that it was Chandrika who had passed on the details to the forest officials.
Marayur forest division is world famous for its sandalwood trees which have a special aroma and rich oil content.