9 months ago
Gujarat Forest Officials Suspended for Khair Wood Smuggling Nexus
Forest officials in Gujarat have been suspended for not doing their jobs properly, which led to the seizure of a large amount of Khair wood logs in Maharashtra.
The logs, worth crores of rupees, were being smuggled by a man named Arjun Patel, who has been involved in such activities for a long time.
Videos showing corrupt practices by a woman forester and a Range Forest Officer (RFO) went viral on social media, leading to an investigation.
The wood is used to make medicines and other products and is in high demand.
The forest department is now looking into the matter to find out who else is involved.
Forest officials J D Rathod and Hetal Patel suspended for alleged negligence in Khair wood smuggling case.
332 tonnes of Khair bark worth over Rs 3 crore seized from Arjun Patel's residence in Navsari.
Arjun Patel disclosed a network of 19 people involved in the smuggling racket, including his son and cousin.
Videos of corrupt practices by the woman forester and RFO went viral, leading to an investigation.
Khair wood is in high demand for medicines and other products, transported to Chiplun and other states.
- Who
- Forest officials J D Rathod and Hetal Patel, smuggler Arjun Patel, and 19 others
- What
- Seizure of Khair wood logs and suspension of forest officials for alleged negligence and corruption
- Where
- Navsari district, Gujarat, and Palghar, Maharashtra
- When
- First week of November (seizure), November 7 (booking of Arjun Patel), Thursday and Friday (suspension orders)
- Why
- Alleged involvement in a Khair wood smuggling racket and corrupt practices
Key facts
- Suspended Officials
- Vansda RFO J D Rathod and forester Hetal Patel
- Seized Wood
- 332 tonnes of Khair bark worth over Rs 3 crore
- Location of Seizure
- National Highway 53 in Maharashtra’s Palghar
- Accused Smuggler
- Arjun Patel
- Involved Parties
- 19 people, including Arjun Patel's son and cousin
- Forest Department Action
- Suspension of officials and investigation ongoing
- Usage of Khair Wood
- Medicines, Catechu (Paan kaththa), paan masala
- Destination of Wood
- Chiplun, Maharashtra, and other states
Quotes
A forest officer with Valsad forest department
An unnamed forest officer from the Valsad forest department
“Arjun Patel has been a notorious smuggler of Khair wood for decades, and cases were registered against him under the Forest Act earlier as well. He disclosed the names of 19 people involved in the racket, and also involvement of his son and his cousin.”
indianexpress.com
“A farmer who grows Khair wood in his fields has to take permission from the forest department to cut down the tree. Arjun Patel is hand-in-glove with the forest department of Vansda and Chikhli in Navsari district, was procuring large quantities of Khair woods from different farmers and after peeling the bark and later loading it in a container and send it to another person in Maharashtra at Chiplun. The khair wood is later sent to other states across the country. The khair trees in the government forest land in Chikhli were also cut illegally and brought to Arjun Patel, through nexus.”
indianexpress.com
