CBI raids Uttarakhand Forest Dept officials in Pakhro Tiger Safari illegal tree felling case

Sources said that the CBI sleuths raided the forest headquarters in Uttarakhand capital Dehradun where they questioned the officials for around two hours.

Dehradun: The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday carried out raids at the offices of senior Forest Department officials in Uttarakhand in connection with the case related to illegal felling of trees for Pakhro Tiger Safari at the Corbett Tiger Reserve, sources said. Sources said that the CBI sleuths on Thursday arrived at the forest headquarters in Uttarakhand capital Dehradun and carried out the searches.

An official said that the CBI sleuths also questioned the Forest Department officials at the forest headquarters for about two hours in connection with the case. It was not immediately known whether the CBI made any arrests in connection with the case. Earlier also, the Central Bureau of Investigation officials had raided the house of former IFS officer Kishan Chand and retired Ranger Brij Bihari Sharma in connection with the alleged illegal felling of trees for the Pakhro Tiger Safari at the Corbett Tiger Reserve.

Pertinently, investigators have alleged that the Pakhro Tiger Safari to be constructed in the Pakhro range of Jim Corbett National Park was started in the year 2019 without financial approval. It is alleged that the officials at the helm of the affairs carried out illegal felling of trees at the Tiger Reserve in the name of Tiger Safari in Pakharo range.

Following an uproar, the NTCA (National Tiger Conservation Authority) had also conducted an on-site inspection of the Pakhro range to ascertain the facts. Officials said that the NTCA found widespread irregularities during its on-site inspection. Later, the Uttarakhand government ordered an investigation into the matter with the state Vigilance registering a case in Haldwani.

On the basis of investigation, in the year 2022, Vigilance arrested former Ranger Brij Bihari Sharma in Dehradun and former DFO Kishan Chand in Haridwar. Vigilance has also filed a charge sheet in this case. On the orders of the Nainital High Court, the CBI also started investigation in the case.