The case has taken a new turn with the Divisional Forest Officer P. Dhanesh Kumar, who played a major role in unearthing the case, complaining of a threat to his life from the accused. The officer has petitioned Additional Director General of Police, Crime Branch, S Sreejith, who heads the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that the accused in the case had threatened to implicate him in offences, including anti-national activities and akbari cases. Kumar said he was openly threatened by the accused, Roji Augustine and Anto Augustine in the presence of police officers after their arrest at the Aluva Police Club. In another petition to Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) R S Arun, Kumar sought protection for him and his family members.

A belligerent Opposition has upped the ante by accusing Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of playing a role in the case. Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan said the Chief Minister had helped the forest officer responsible for the large-scale tree felling to ‘escape’ with a light punishment. He also voiced his lack of faith in the probe being conducted by the Crime Branch. The punishment against the officer had been limited to a transfer to Kollam.

The probe report by Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF) Rajesh Raveendran had blamed Forest Conservator, Kozhikode, N T Sajan for colluding with the accused to frame his subordinate officers. The report had demanded immediate disciplinary action against Sajan. It also wanted Sajan to be kept away from duties in the Northern region so that he does not tamper with evidence. However, Sajan was let off with just a transfer, allegedly on the intervention of the Chief Minister’s office, according to the Leader of the Opposition.

The thrust of the report was that Sajan had colluded with the accused in the case to falsely implicate M K Sameer, forest officer, Meppady in Wayanad district who is pursuing the rosewood felling case, in an old tree-felling case at Manikkunnumala in Wayanad. The enquiry report further said that it was on the basis of questionable documents handed over to him by the accused that Sajan had tried to trap Sameer in a fabricated case. Sajan had tried to frame his diligent subordinates in an absurd and baseless case to protect the vested interests of the forest mafia. The enquiry report has confirmed that Sajan and the accused Augustine brothers had used the false Mnaikkunnumala case to seek revenge against Meppadi range officers who had caught the Augustine brothers red-handed in Muttil tree felling.

The Leader of the Opposition alleged that the accused in the rosewood felling case had sought the help of a television reporter who represented a Malayalam news channel to lend credence to the ‘fabricated report’. The journalist, who used Dharmadom on his byline, is said to have put pressure on Divisional Forest Officer Dhanesh Kumar to enquire into the false Munikkunnumala case highlighted by Sajan. Moreover, the journalist had posted pictures of himself with the Chief Minister and other CPI(M) leaders on his Facebook. Chief Minister Vijayan represents the Dharmadom assembly constituency. However, it was found that Sameer was innocent of the case as it had happened before he became the Meppady range officer.

The tree-felling case has put the Government in a spot with an aggressive opposition turning on the heat on the issue. The Opposition has accused the Government of managing a plunder of forest wealth of unprecedented proportions. Even by official estimates, trees worth Rs 14 crore were cut in Wayanad district alone. But there are reports of greater loot from nine other districts running into hundreds of crores, Satheesan alleged. The controversial government order issued by the Revenue Department on October 24, 2020, was converted into a ‘licence’ for mass tree felling, Satheesahn alleged, adding that the government trying to protect the guilty at the expense of poor farmers and tribes people.

Forest Minister in the second Pinarayi Government, A K Saseendran, however, accused the Opposition of creating a smokescreen to further their political agenda. The Government, he claimed, has taken all possible steps to unearth the scam by launching a comprehensive inquiry by a special investigative team. Two officials posted at the Lakkidi forest check post in Wayanad have already been suspended for their failure to prevent the smuggling of rosewood logs axed from Muttil, the Minister pointed out.

Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court has dismissed the anticipatory bail petitions filed by the accused in the case. The court said that the three accused, Roji Augustine, Anto Augustine and Josekurtty Augustine managed things by manipulating records and influencing officers. Therefore, they were not entitled to any relief from the court. Reports by the forest ranger, the court observed, showed that Roji Augustine had collected Rs 1.4 crore from the managing director of Malabar Timbers by promising to arrange over 10,000 cubic feet of rosewood. It was not known how he would arrange so much quantity of rosewood, the court added. The court further said the materials produced by the accused themselves showed that they are not innocent. Relief cannot be granted to the accused who have not acted bona fide, said the court dismissing their bail applications. (IPA Service)