Forest team seizes teak-laden tractor-trolley in Chandrapur's Virur range, three arrested

The forest department team in the Virur forest range of Central Chanda forest division has seized a tractor-trolley that was illegally carrying teak wood. The action took place on the Punaguda-Patan road. Three accused were arrested and goods worth Rs 3.43 lakh were seized.

According to the information available, forest officers were on routine patrol at about 11.30 pm on November 3 on the Punaguda-Patan road, under the Dewada sub-range. They spotted a suspicious tractor, stopped it and searched it. Teak wood was found loaded in the trolley.

The officers asked for valid documents for transporting the wood and for the forest department's permission. The tractor carried Baliram Shankar Mallelwar and Kundan Eknath Madavi, both residents of Tata Kohal. Neither could show any valid document.

During questioning, the two accused said they had bought the teak from wood hidden in the field of Uddhav Namdev Ubade, a resident of Punaguda. The forest department then took all three accused into custody. The tractor-trolley and the wood were also seized. A forest offence case has been registered against all three.

According to the forest department, the seized teak measures 0.907 cubic metres and is estimated to be worth Rs 93,000. The tractor-trolley is valued at Rs 2.50 lakh. Together, goods worth Rs 3.43 lakh were recovered.

The action was taken under the guidance of Deputy Conservator of Forests Yogesh Waghaye and Sub-Divisional Forest Officer Mangesh Girdkar. Virur Range Forest Officer Mahesh Dighe and forest department staff carried it out at the spot.