Nagpur: The joint inspection by taluka land record (TLR) officials and forest department to ascertain the illicit felling of 59 teak trees in Navegaon reserve forest compartment in Alegaon range under Akola forest division took an ugly turn on Sunday when the whistleblower was brutally assaulted.
A retired range forest officer (RFO) KD Shriwas and deputy sarpanch of Pahadsinghi Uttam Khule had launched a hunger strike on December 22, 2021, against the illicit felling of 59 trees. The strike was called off after the intervention of local MLAs on the ground that TLR will do a joint inspection to ascertain the facts.
As planned, a joint inspection was carried out on Sunday. Whistleblower Khule was called on the spot through a notice but was not allowed to be a part of the inspection. He was stopped by Prakash Dakhore and his men, who are alleged to have felled the trees in connivance with forest officials. Also present were all the RFOs during whose tenure the felling took place but now posted at other places.
Khule was brutally assaulted right in front of the forest officials but they allegedly did not intervene. Khule was allegedly beaten up by a mob of 30 people including some women with sticks and stones. He suffered injuries on the eyes, head and other body parts. Caught unawares by the alleged pre-planned attack, the others who had reached the spot ran away.
Akola deputy conservator (DyCF) Arjuna KR said, “The attack is the result of old enmity. It is a law and...

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