Clash in Dulung Reserve Forest of Lakhimpur District, Pachyderm Seized; Three Arrested

TIMBER SMUGGLERS OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH VERSUS ASSAM FOREST OFFICIALS

A CORRESPONDENT

LAKHIMPUR: At a time when the issue of Inter-State border dispute between Assam and Mizoram has created a tensed situation in Barak valley, open firing took place between the Forest officials of Assam and timber smugglers from the neighbouring State of Arunachal Pradesh took place in Dulung Reserve Forest of Lakhimpur district.

The incident took place on Tuesday at No. 2 Ghagar near the Assam-Arunachal Inter-State boundary area under the Pothalipam Beat Office of the Reserve Forest.

Sources informed that an operation was led after the Lakhimpur Divisional Office of the Forest Department received inputs of a gang of timber smugglers cutting trees at No. 2 Ghagar. A team of Forest officials, led by Lakhimpur Range Forest Officer Bob Christie Kutum, in association with Pothalipam Beat Officer, launched an operation against the gang.

The Forest officials' team arrived at the spot after traversing a 10-kilometer-long distance on foot from Rajgarh. At that time, the timber smugglers were shifting the logs of wood from the territory of Assam to that of Arunachal Pradesh by using an elephant.

Arriving at the spot, the Forest officials' team instructed the seven-member gang of the timber smugglers to surrender. But they fired at the team of the Forest officials which compelled them to counteract in retaliation.

During the incident, though some members of the timber smugglers managed to flee by taking advantage of the dense forest, the team of Forest officials arrested three of them. They have been identified as Bikash Gogoi (30), Koheswar Gogoi (37) and Raju Das (48).

Moreover, the Forest Department seized the elephant which was used to shift the logs of wood and it was shifted to Pothalipam Beat Office. The source also informed that a notorious timber smuggler known as 'Tanu' (not original name) from across the boundary was involved with the incident. He too managed to run away along with his companions.

Pothalipam Beat Officer Abdul Motin informed this correspondent that a case was already filed in this regard. On Wednesday, the three arrested smugglers were produced in the Court; and the Court sent the trio to judicial custody. They admitted that the firing incident targeting the Assam Forest officials took place under the leadership of Tanu.

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