Villagers booked for thrashing forest rangers on Rajasthan-MP border

At least six personnel of forest department were injured after they were allegedly attacked by villagers during a confrontation over removal of encroachment on MP-Rajasthan border

At least six personnel of the forest department were injured after they were allegedly attacked by villagers during a confrontation over removal of encroachment on stretch of forest land on MP-Rajasthan border.

The incident happened in Kasba Thana forest check post range under Baran district, when a forest department squad visited the area for a plantation drive and to remove the encroachment.

On the basis of a complaint of forest department officials, around 10 people only two of them identified were booked on Saturday night on charges of deterring a public servant from discharge of his duty and hurting him.

None of the accused have been arrested yet, even though the area was raided by police teams led by Circle Officer Hament Gautam and SHO Rajkumar Meena on Sunday.

Around 35-40 Bheel tribe families, belonging to villages on the RajasthanMP border have encroached over 200-300 bigas of forest land in Kasba Thana forest range , and erected tents and started living there with plan to cultivate crops, Mohammed Hafiz, a ranger of Kasba Thana forest range, said.

A forest patrolling squad led by Ramkishan Nagar went to the spot Saturday afternoon to remove the encroachment, but was attacked by the squatters, who beat them with sticks, iron rods, and stones, and held Nagar captive, the ranger said.

Nagar was found lying injured on the ground when rescue came, he said.

The other five members of the squad did not sustain severe injuries and were discharged after primary medical care, he said.

The accused were booked under section 332 and 353 of the IPC, SHO, Kasba Thana Police Station, Rajkumar Meena said.