Monday, 16 December 2013

Foresters failed to take help of Special Task Force against Red Sanders

U Sudhakar Reddy

Forest officials didn’t take the support of the local police or Task 
Force while they went on operation in Seshachalam near Tirumala of Chittoor district. The 
information was given to the police only while the attack was happening by that time the 
help reached the red sanders smugglers stoned to death two foresters.
A special Task Force comprising of armed policemen with headquarters in Tirupati headed 
by an Additional Superintendent of Police Mr. Uday Kumar has been operating against red 
sanders smugglers for the past six months. It consists of two platoons with around 70 men 
and forest officials were involved in several arrests.


Rayalaseema Region Inspector General of Police Mr. Rajiv Ratan said ,”Forest officials 
went on their own without information to the police. They would have taken either Task 
Force or local police help before they have gone for an operation. Forest officials were 
unarmed. Our Task Force have been doing a good work and arrested several of the 
smugglers. Local police in December 2012 opened fire and killed a red sanders smuggler,” 
Base camps have been set up in different areas of Seshachalam hills.
In December 2012 a Red sanders smuggler Murugesan of Uppuru village in Villupuram 
district was shot dead when police opened fire after he and his gangs attacked them with 
knives and hurled stones. Murugesan was involved in smuggling of trees in 
Karive­paku­lakona along the foothills of the Seshachalam range. An associate of him 
Bhagyaraj survived after injuries. Three armed policemen and forester were hospitalized 
with injuries.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Mr. B S S Reddy said ,”In fact our staff called 
for the police help while the attack took place. They ran helter skelter for cover when 
they smugglers rained stones on them. Some of them had hidden in the bushes and some of 
them called up for help after they find two of their members are missing. The staff from 
Tirumala base camp were on daily routine patrolling of vulnerable points. It’s a daily 
practice. By the time the help went it took place. The incident took place around 9.30 
am,”
Meanwhile Chief Minister Mr. N Kiran Kumar Reddy ordered an enquiry into the incident 
while expressing shock over the Tirupati incident in which to forest staff died. He 
condemned the inhuman incident where red sanders smugglers attacked the forest staff near 
Parveti Mandap Forest area of Tirupati. CM directed PCCF Mr B SS Reddy to rush to the 
spot and ensure the best medical treatment to the injured staff. He directed police 
officials to take stringent action against the offenders.

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