3 forest personnel including ranger injured in encounter with suspected wood smugglers

Rudrapur, Sep 6 (PTI) Suspected wood smugglers opened fire injuring three forest department personnel including a ranger on Friday in Terai Central Forest Division of Haldwani in Uttrarakhand.

The wood smugglers fled immediately after the incident which took place in the Pipal Padav range of the forest division, an officer said.

The injured ranger and two other employees were admitted to a hospital in Rudrapur where their condition is said to be out of danger.

Pipal Padav Ranger Roop Narayan Gautam, who was injured in the incident, said he reached the spot with two employees after receiving information about more than half a dozen smugglers cutting wood in the forest. The smugglers had come on their motorcycles with wood cutting equipment, he said.

The forest officer said on seeing the forest department team, the suspected smugglers started firing.

They fled on a motorcycle while firing. Gautam and two other forest personnel were hit by bullets.

Divisional Forest Officer Terai Central Forest Division Umesh Tiwari and other senior officials reached the spot as soon as the incident was reported.

A motorcycle and a tree cutting equipment have been seized from the spot.

Suspected forest smugglers are carrying out criminal activities fearlessly in the Terai Central Forest Division.

A few days ago also, there was an encounter between the Forest Department and suspected wood smugglers in which a suspected wood smuggler was arrested. PTI COR ALM ALM KSS KSS