T'gana timber smuggler now booked under Preventive Detention

: A month after he was arrested, alleged timber smuggler Yedla Srinu known as "Telangana Veerappan" has now been booked under the Preventive Detention Act, police said Monday.

Yedla Srinu alias Potharam Srinu (42) who faces a string of cases and his associatesKududala Kishan Kumar (35) and Koravena Madhukar (36) were arrested a month ago, while they were smuggling teakwood at Manthani in Peddapalli district, police said.

"We have (now) invoked the PD Act against "Telangana Veerappan" Srinu and his associates and they are currently lodged in Warangal Central prison," Manthani Circle Inspector Mahender told PTI.

Srinu allegedly indulged in tree felling and smuggling teakwood in reserve forests in Manthani, Mancherial and Chennoor under Ramagundam Police Commissionerate limits for nearly two decades, he said.

"He was smuggling the teakwood to Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chattisgarh," the police official said.

As many as 12 cases had been registered against Srinu by police and the Forest department, under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Forest Act, he said.

The police official said the Telangana government headed by K Chandrasekhar Rao took serious view of the rampant tree-felling in the state and directed police and forest officials to take stringent action against such people, even if they claimed political backing.

Srini had also approached the High Court to avoid invocation of PD Act against him, Mahender said.

He also said efforts were on to arrest saw mill owners in Godavarikhani, Manthani and in some parts of Andhra Pradesh for allegedly colluding with Srini.