Forest officer P Dhanesh Kumar, who played a key role in bringing rampant felling of protected rosewood and teak trees in Kerala’s ecologically fragile Wayanad to light in June, has sought protection for himself and his family citing threats.
In a letter to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing the case, and the chief conservator of forest Arun RS, Kumar said people close to the accused were tracking his movements. He added he suspected a threat to him and his family. Kumar said when he questioned some of the accused last month, he was threatened in front of the jail officials. He alleged the main accused Roji Augustin threatened to implicate him in sedition and narcotic substances cases. Augustin is among the 12 people arrested in the case.
“I regularly get threat calls. Even some of my family members were also threatened. Hence, it is humbly requested to give adequate protection to my life,” he said in the letter, which was leaked to the media. HT has seen a copy of the letter.
Both Kumar and Arun R S refused to comment even as a police officer said Kumar will be given protection.
The SIT has registered 300-odd cases in connection with the illegal felling. But conservationists and opposition leaders allege there is an attempt to protect the accused and forest officials who allegedly helped them.
The forest department last month sought strict action against forest official N T Sajan for his alleged role in the illegal tree felling, but no action has been taken against him. Sajan allegedly helped the accused and tried to sabotage the case initially. He was transferred from Kozhikode to Kollam after the case surfaced.
State forest minister A K Saseendran denied allegations of weakening the case. “The SIT is conducting a thorough investigation. If found guilty, nobody will be spared; let the final report come.”
Opposition leader V D Satheesan questioned why the government was “scared” of acting against Sajan. “There is enough evidence against him. He even tried to implicate some of the upright officials,” he said. Satheesan accused the Chief Minister’s Office of protecting Sajan.
In October 2020, the state revenue department issued an order allowing the felling of rosewood and teak grown by farmers on the revenue land allotted to them. Misusing the order, smugglers felled trees worth crores on private and forest land. As many as 101 rosewood trees were found to have been cut and smuggled.
Kumar played a role in exposing the cutting of trees in Wayanad. Similar cases later surfaced in Idukki and a few other districts.
