Four forest workers injured in timber smuggler attack
Mahendranagar (Dhanusa), Jan 2: Four forest workers were injured when timber smugglers attacked them with sharp weapons at Pushpawalapur VDC in Dhanusa on Friday night.
A clash that led to the incident ensued when office bearers of Jalad Collaborative Forest and employees of the District Forest Office tried to stop armed smugglers to smuggle timber on a tractor from a forest in the district, said Chief of the sector forest office at Pushpawalpur Bishnu Yadav, one of the injured. The forest workers acted on a tip off.
He, however, the smugglers fled the scene with the timbers.
Of the other injured including Shyam Lal Mahato, chairman of the Jalad Collaborative Forest Users Group and members Posta Bahadur Giri and Mahendra Mahato, Mahato is in serious condition, health workers said.
Three motorcycles belonging to the forest workers were vandalised in the clash, while forest guards had to open three rounds of fire in the air to take the situation under control, Yadav said.