KOKRAJHAR: As the State government is acting tough on corruption and bribery, a Range Officer-Kankan J.Kaushik of Athiabari Forst Range in eastern part of Raimana National Park under Kachugaon Forest Division is in trouble for alleged involvement in bribery with two youths who were caught by the forest guards in upper stream of Hell River under Raimana National Park recently. A case has been filed and registered at Serfanguri Police Station.
The FIR against the Range Officer, Konkon Kaushik was lodged at Serfanguri police station by Nirenta Basumatary and Sudem Basumatary of Belguri village under Serfanguri police station on May 20 against physical assault on them and demand of bribery by the forest officials for their release. They were accompanied by the members of Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Mancha (BJSM) during filing of FIR.
According to the sources, one Nirenta Basumatary of Belguri village under Serfanguri police station and Prajit Brahma of Thaisaoguri village of the same Police Station went to upper stream of Hell River under Raimana National Park on May 14 to check the drying up of river bed as the entire area is currently facing acute drinking water scarcity since the past two months. The team of forest guards saw them and detained them suspecting them to be poachers and brought them to Athiabari Forest Range Office in the evening at 3 pm. They said they were physically assaulted by the forester and forest guards led by Amrit Newar of Patgaon. They also alleged that they were asked to pay a sum of Rs. 1 lakh each by the forest officials in the presence of Range officer Kankan J. Kaushik for their release.
Nirenta Basumatary is presently working at a private company in Kerala and he came to his home to cast vote recently while Prajit Brahma, a first semester student of Janata College, Serfanguri who was also detained from the same spot on the same day went to upper stream Longa River to study the river water level as the villages in the locality have been facing water crisis from last month when the forest guards led by Ambrit Newar surrounded them on suspicion of being poachers and badly assaulted them.
They also narrated that both of them were taken away to Athiabari Forest Range Office at around 8 pm and were assaulted again till 9 pm and kept overnight there in the room where there is no electricity. Without handing them over to the police, next morning at 7 am both of them were moved to Kachugaon Hospital for medical examination and were taken back to Divisional Forest Office, Kachugaon. Again at 1 p.m. on May 15, they were brought back to Range Office, Athiabari. They alleged that on the same day the Range Officer and Forester demanded Rs. 1 lakh each from the family members and villagers who came to approach for their release at the Range office, Athiabari in the presence of Range Officer Kankan J. Kaushik failing of which they would be sent to jail. The poor family members were given little time to collect the amount. As the families are economically poor, they requested the forest officials to reduce the amount and accordingly, the forest officials agreed to release the youths on payment of Rs. 60,000 each. Later, the family members of Prajit Brahma and sister of Nirenta Basumatary, Sudem Basumatary Koch could manage Rs. 1, 20,000 and the amount was handed over to the forest officials.
Meanwhile, talking to this correspondent, the working president of the BJSM-DD Narzary said he went to Athiabari Forest Range Office and called on Range Officer Kankan J. Kaushik on May 15 in the evening and inquired the reasons of detention of two youths and subsequent physical torture on innocent youths. He said he had requested the Range Officer Kankan J. Kaushik to return the money taken in the name of release from the two youths of poor families. He also said the Range Officer assured him to return the amount by May 16 or May 18 but until May 19, they failed to give back the amount and thus the FIR was lodged on May 20 against the Range Officer and forest officials. He questioned as to why the Range Officer did not forward the file to police if the youths were found committing offence. He also questioned what was the reason to keep them overnight in the Range Office if they have no faults and if they violated the rules then why the offenders were not handed over to police. He further said the medical reports had confirmed the physical torture and the OC of Serfanguri PS had already taken statements from the two youths and forest officials regarding the entire episodes.
Narzary strongly advocated that the Range Officer of Athiabari Range Kankan J. Kaushik and two foresters must be taken action as per law of the land to ensure that all the relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Schedule Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) act, 1989 is incorporated. He also demanded that the forest officials should be arrested for indulging in forceful bribery as an act of gross violation of Anti-Corruption laws in India subject to relevant sections of Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and Prevention of Money laundering Act, 2002 and suspension of their services.
On the other hand, the Range Officer of Athiabari Range Kankan J. Kauhik, currently on leave while talking to this correspondent, said the youths were detained for entering a restricted area of Raimana National Park. He said no one would be allowed to enter the National Park zone without prior permission as per Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. The act is a comprehensive legislation enacted by the Government of India for the protection of wildlife. It has several provisions aimed at conserving and protecting wildlife and their habitats. He also said the allegations of demand of bribery from the youths was totally false and politically motivated.
When asked if the forest guards recovered any substance or implements from the detained youths, J. Kaushik replied that they did not find any materials from the youths but they were detained on suspicion for entering the wildlife zone without permission. Regarding the physical assault, he said no one could claim it unless the medical report is out.
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