COD to probe forest land encroachment

BANGALORE, Sept 28: The alleged encroachment of reserve forest land in Coorg by the wife of a senior Kerala police officer, found to be p...

BANGALORE, Sept 28: The alleged encroachment of reserve forest land in Coorg by the wife of a senior Kerala police officer, found to be prima facie true in an official inquiry, has now been referred to the Corps of Detectives (COD) for detailed investigations.

Disclosing this to mediapersons here on Monday, Karnataka Forest Minister D Manjunath said Kerala Director General of Police George Jacob’s wife Daicy had purchased nearly 100 acres of land near Nagamandala in Coorg for developing a rubber plantation. Jacob was accused, in the State Legislature, of encroaching upon 38.5 acres of forest land adjacent to the land purchased.

The minister said Jacob sought the Forest Department’s permission to cut the trees to facilitate rubber plantation growth, but it was refused. She then approached the Tree Authority.

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The Authority president and the forest conservator visited the spot and found that trees on 60 acres of land were "missing”. However, the Authority permitted her to cut three trees on each acre ofland.

The Kodagu (Coorg) Circle Forest Conservator recommended to the Chief Conservator of Forests to recover Rs 1.77 crore from Jacob for illegal cutting of trees.

Karnataka Forest Development Corporation Managing Director Ramaprakash was appointed to inquire into the charges of encraochment and illegal cutting of trees. Based on the inquiry report and the Kodagu Circle forest conservator’s recommendations, “The Government is convinced that the allegations are true”, said Manjunath, maintaining that the COD probe was necessary as the Government intended to file a criminal case against Jacob.

A COD team, led by Inspector Muthanna, has begun investigations, Manjunath added.