Coimbatore Forest ranger suspended for hoarding over 300kg of sandalwood

Forest department officials suspended for hoarding of sandalwood case registered against government officials


Coimbatore: The officials yesterday seized 327 kg of sandalwood blocks from the Srivilliputhur estate house of a forest ranger in Coimbatore. He has since been suspended.



Arokyasamy who works as a Boluvampatti forest ranger lives with his wife Kalaivani and youngest son in Srivilliputhur, Virudhunagar district.

327 kg of sandalwood trees have been confiscated by the Srivilliputhur Forest Department at the farmhouse owned by Kalaivani in Bandaparai and investigation is underway with Kalaivani and Forest Ranger Arokyasamy in this regard.

The incident where sandalwood was hoarded in the officer's house has caused shock among the forest department. Sandalwood smuggling takes place from time to time in the Boluvampatti forest in Coimbatore. Sandalwood trees were cut down and smuggled during the Mullangadu struggle in November and December last year.

In December alone, four trees were uprooted. Arokiyasamy has been going to Srivilliputhur by car during the time when Coronavirus pandemic was active. The anti-poaching guard drove the car along with another anti-poaching guard who also went in the car. It is to be noted that one of them was involved in a fake bill scam and the forest ranger who was caught had previously worked in Kutralam and Mudumalai making it necessary to investigate the incidents that took place there.Department staff said, Arokiyasamy's son and daughter are studying medicine in the Philippines, The intelligence police conducted an undercover investigation on the staff of the Boluvampatti Forest Office yesterday on suspicion of being involved in the scam. It is expected that more people will be be framed in this case. Later the sandalwood blocks were confiscated from the farm.

A case has been registered against Arokyasamy's wife Kalaivani in this regard. Boluvampatti forest ranger Arogyasamy has been suspended for not interfering with the trial. Coimbatore forest officer near Srivilliputhur has been urged to file a case against him in connection with the seizure of sandalwood trees in his farm. District Forest Officer Mohammad Shabab said that a case would be registered against the forest officer after submitting a report to the state forest department.

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