KOCHI: A petition was filed on Monday before the Kerala High Court seeking a CBI probe into the alleged illegal cutting and smuggling of trees from Wayanad and other districts in Kerala. The petition was filed by P Purushothaman, a social activist residing in New Delhi.
According to the petitioner, the revenue orders for felling trees had been issued with an ulterior motive only to benefit timber traders rather than farmers who had been granted 'Patta' lands by the government with a land revenue exemption. The revenue order was intended for a short period only to facilitate corruption. The illegal cutting and removing of trees was unearthed after it took place in Muttil, Wayanad, he said.
The petitioner alleged that a section of revenue and forest official and politicians of the ruling party are conspiring with the timber mafia for the illegal acts. They even used the lockdown following the pandemic as an additional cover to cut and transport valuable trees from private land. According to the petitioner, timber worth Rs 100 crore was felled and removed in the last year. Other than Idukki and Wayanad, districts including Thrissur, Ernakulam, Palakkad, Malappuram and Pathanamthitta have witnessed the felling of trees, he said.
The petitioner alleged that the present investigation by the revenue and police departments is only an eyewash. There will not be a fair investigation as government officials were also involved in the case. One of the accused persons is also having a strong influence in the LDF Ministry and the ruling party members are also involved in the forest robbery. If the state agency continues the investigation, there is a chance for tampering with evidence, he said. The petitioner also sought a court-monitored investigation in the case.