PALAKKAD: Days after Forest Minister AK Saseendran said no case will be registered against R Babu, who was rescued from a rock cleft in Kurumbachi hills in Cherad on February 9, the department’s officials on Monday booked the 23-year-old for entering the forest areas and climbing the hill without permission.
“We have booked Babu under Section 27 of Kerala Forest Act for trespassing into the government-owned forest. He will be produced in judicial first class magistrate court on Tuesday. We have got the names of the three youths who accompanied Babu. They are reportedly minors and so, an enquiry will be held before any action is taken against them,” Walayar range officer Ashiq Ali told TNIE.
Earlier in the day, Babu’s mother Rasheeda had told reporters that she was not opposed to the registering of a case against Babu if he did anything wrong. She said she was thankful to everyone who facilitated Babu’s rescue. She also said she was tired of answering calls that had been pouring in ever since the successful rescue operation.
Radhakrishnan, who was detained by forest officials from Cherad in the early hours of Monday, was taken to the district hospital for a health check-up and released in the afternoon. Divisional Forest Officer Kura Sreenivas said a 17-member team of forest personnel had left for Kurumbachi hills in the afternoon after local residents had on Sunday expressed doubts that more people had climbed up the hill.
“The personnel will camp atop the hills and conduct search on Tuesday morning too,” said Sreenivas, adding that there are proposals to put up signboards en route to the hills. Awareness programmes will be conducted, he said.
Local residents on Sunday had claimed seeing lights from more than three flashlights atop the hills at 8pm. “Radhakrishnan, 45, is a local tribal resident who ekes out a living doing odd jobs and plucking coconuts. He was inebriated during the night and was loitering around the lower reaches of the hills when he was taken into custody by forest personnel. He did not go atop the hills where the flashlights were seen,” said Anil, a resident.
Strict curbs on trekking to Kurumbachi hills
Palakkad: The online meeting convened by Revenue Minister K Rajan here on Monday decided to impose strict curbs on trekking to the Kurumbachi hills at Cherad near Malampuzha. The move comes out after people tried to climb the hill for the second time on Sunday night. The meeting also decided to constitute a committee, which will be headed by the district collector.
The minister said a protocol needs to be followed to curb illegal trekking and adventure trips and the government can’t be a mute spectator to illegal activities. Forest Minister A K Saseendran said stringent regulations will be imposed in the area to prevent illegal entry. Palakkad Divisional Forest Officer Kura Sreenivas said the forest personnel would conduct searches in the hills in the afternoon and stay put atop it during the night.The forest and police personnel will examine the purpose of the travel of all persons to these areas. The minister said that another meeting would be convened in Palakkad within 10 days to take stock of the situation.