Daijiworld Media Network - Beltangady (SP)
Beltangady, Oct 1: Assistant conservator of forests (ACF), Satish Baba Rai, who happens to be the inquiry officer appointed by the department to look into complaints by locals, interrogated Ujire range forest officer (RFO), Keerthan Shetty, who is facing charge of launching murderous attack on a resident of Puduvettu village, Kamaldas, accusing the latter of committing theft of wood from the forest. The questioning session was held at the forest office here on Saturday September 30. The officer also received complaints from the affected family and the general public.
When about a hundred villagers tried to lay siege to the forest office on this occasion, police personnel intervened and stopped the crowd from doing so. Thereafter, some members of Kamldas family and leaders were allowed inside the forest office, after which the session continued. The family members and others who presented their case before the ACF accused Keerthan of indulging in corruption and applying intimidatory tactics.
When range forest officer here, Subbayya, intervened and tried to pacify the angry crowd, the people accused him of being lenient and trying to rescue corrupt officials. They demanded for the immediate transfer of Subbayya. Verbal frictions were seen between Subbayya and locals on this occsion.
The people stated that Keerthan Shetty has been violating his jurisdiction for bribe. They said that Shetty's habit of violating law was evident by the fact that he had transgressed his Ujre forest limits and visited Puduvettu to take into custody Kamaldas from there. The people said that over a hundred carpenter families are functioning in Puduvettu and nearby villages and because of Keerthan's harassment, the carpenters who have been functioning since five to six decades had become jobless. They said that even when they bring timber legally from saw mills for their work. Keerthan harasses them. They sought justice from the inquiry officer.
BJP taluk president, Ranjan Gowda, general secretary, Prabhakar Shetty Uppadka, youth Congress president, Abhinandan Harish Kumar, APMC member, Gafoor, several dalit leaders, retired forest officer, Lokayya Poojary and others were present.
Local MLA, Vasant Bangera, said that he has already spoken to deputy conservator of forests about inhuman behaviour of the forest officer and demand for his suspension and promised that suitable action will be taken if the officer is found guilty. ACF, Satish Baba Rai, said that he has collected all information and that he will send a report to higher officials.
In the meanwhile, the people who are demanding for the immediate suspension of Shetty, warned of holding protest with the support various political and non-political outfits and organizations on October 3 if immediate steps are not taken against Shetty.