Villagers ransack forest office, three forest staffers injured

A large group of villagers allegedly ransacked the range forest office at Vasai in Palghar district of Maharashtra, in which three forest staffers were injured, police said on Thursday.

The incident took place on Wednesday morning, police said.

According to a police official, residents of Belkadi village ransacked the office after some youths from their village were caught by the forest department on the suspicion of triggering a forest fire at Tungareshwar hills.

"A mob of about 150 villagers ransacked the range forest office at Vasai in which at least three forest staffers were injured," senior inspector Vilas Chowgule of Valiv police station said.

The members of the group were later booked under IPC sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 427 (mischief causing damage) of the IPC and also sections of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act,1984.

In his police complaint, a forest official alleged that a team of forest staffers was on a patrolling duty at Tungareshwar hills on Tuesday night, where they spotted the five youths.

"A forest fire was on there at that time and the forest officials suspected that the youths were responsible for it. The five youths were detained and taken to the forest office," Chowgule said.

The youths belonged to Belkadi village. When their family members and other villagers learnt about their detention, they came to the forest office and damaged its furniture, windows, doors and computers, police said.

"The three forest personnel injured in the incident were later hospitalised," Chowgule said.

The incident of the mob ransacking the forest office went viral on the social media.

Meanwhile, the detained youths alleged that they had gone to the forest area just to collect woods for Holi, when the forest personnel held and thrashed them.

The youths also lodged a counter-complaint against the forest staffers alleging that they were manhandled for no fault of theirs.

Further investigation into the case is on.