Odisha: Lecturer lands in jail for felling trees on campus

JHARSUGUDA: A lecturer of Jharsuguda Engineering school was arrested by the Forest department for his alleged involvement in illegal felling of trees on the campus and hiding the timber underground near his house at Badheimunda.

Sisir Kumar Nayak, a lecturer in Mathematics, was arrested under sections 4, 8, 12 and 14 of the Orissa Timber and Other Forest Produce Transit Rules, 1980 on Thursday and sent to judicial custody after his bail plea was rejected by the court.

The lecturer had buried timber logs worth Rs 5 lakh near his residence after felling trees on the college campus.

Sources said the college authorities had sought permission from Odisha Forest Development Corporation (OFDC) to cut down trees inside the campus.

However, they had not deposited the prescribed fees. Without permission, the trees were later felled and the timber logs transported by tractors.

Suspecting involvement of timber mafia or some staff members in felling of the trees, local residents informed the Forest department about the illegal act. 

On February 9, Jharsuguda forest range officer Sanskruti Badnayak conducted raids at several places and found 12 wooden logs buried near the residence of Nayak.

College principal Pragati Das had served a notice to the lecturer after the raids. Copies of the notice were sent to Collector and Forest department.

Later, as per the advice of forest officers, Das lodged an FIR with police following which the lecturer was arrested. Further investigation into the matter is on.