THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, March 2: A joint team of forest officials and police, led by IPS officer on probation Divyansh Shukla and IFS officer on probation Navaneeth BR, raided an illegal sawmill in Salempur under the Haidernagar police station limits on Saturday.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Medininagar, Satyam Kumar, told The Jharkhand Story that the team seized approximately 200 cubic feet of round timber and 100 cubic feet of sawn timber, with an estimated market value of ₹3 to ₹4 lakh.
“Our joint team dismantled the sawmill, seizing the machinery, blades, and both sawn and unsawn timber,” said Divyansh Shukla.
However, no arrests were made as the sawmill owner, identified as Jasmuddin, and his son managed to escape during the raid, Navaneeth BR confirmed.
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Women Officers Deployed to Prevent Resistance
The joint team included two female police officers to counter a common tactic used by offenders during such raids. In past incidents, forest law violators have brought forward women from their families to obstruct raids, creating situations where officials are forced to retreat.
Sources revealed that DFO Satyam Kumar, aware of these resistance tactics, had advised IFS officer Navaneeth BR to include female officers in the team to prevent any disruptions during the raid. His concerns were valid, as in nearly 70% of such cases, offenders use human shields to hinder law enforcement operations.
Successful Operation Despite Challenges
Despite these concerns, the joint team executed the raid and seizure smoothly and without any major obstacles.
“There was no resistance at the sawmill itself,” Navaneeth BR noted. “However, the forest team faced some difficulties while collecting timber from the offender’s house.”
The seized timber included valuable Sheesham wood, among other species.
Local Officials Under Scrutiny
Sources also pointed out that panchayat representatives, including the mukhiya and other elected members, should be questioned about how such illegal activities continued under their watch without any action.
