Photo Courtesy: northeasttoday
Agartala: Seven forest personnel sustained serious injuries during a violent encounter with alleged timber smugglers in Tripura’s Kanchanpur subdivision late Monday night. The forest team arrived in the Chandipur area to intercept an illegal shipment of government teak timber when they were surrounded and attacked by a group armed with machetes, spears, and sticks.
The injured officials include foresters Shantanu Debnath, Swapan Saha, Banti Mursuddi, and Ujiham Riang, as well as forest guards Mintu Bhowmik, Debashish Pal, and Gopikanta Tripura. The attackers also vandalized two official vehicles before fleeing the scene with the stolen timber.
Police led by Officer-in-Charge Srikantha Rudra Pal responded to a distress call and transported the victims to Kanchanpur Sub-Divisional Hospital, where they remain in critical condition. The Forest Department has since filed a formal complaint with the Kanchanpur Police Station to launch an investigation.
This assault has sparked outrage among local residents and environmental activists, who have long reported systematic illegal logging in the region. There are growing calls for authorities to conduct a massive manhunt and dismantle the organized smuggling syndicates operating within the subdivision.
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