Forest Dept, Police officials chased away by flood victims

A team of forest department and police were allegedly beaten and chased away by flood victims seeking rehabilitation here in Bundi Bhund village, police said today.
According to the police, the forest department team led by their divisional forest officer yesterday had gone to the village to clear the land which was given to the flood victims for the rehabilitation purpose two months ago.
Later, the administration came to know that the land belonged to the Pilibhit tiger reserve forest area, district magistrate Om Narain Singh said today.
The people allegedly chased the officials with lathis when they entered the area and beat them.

The flood victims have alleged that they took the extreme step only when the police and forest staff were truing to set fire to their tents.
The mob damaged the window panes of the some vehicles. The officials had to flee the spot and later police made attempts to pacify the agitators.
The forest staff is contemplating of lodging an FIR against the villagers, police said.