A case has been registered against the members of a temple committee in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh for illegal possession of timber.
According to the police, the incident occurred at Kothi village under Ogli gram panchayat of Sunni tehsil in Shimla. The FIR (No. 06/2024) was filed on August 29, 2024, at the police station for State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau in Shimla under various sections of the Indian Forest Act.
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The FIR was registered under sections 303(2), 61(2) BNS, and 32, 33 of the Indian Forest Act, indicating severe violations related to the unauthorised handling of forest produce. During the operation, law enforcement officials recovered a significant quantity of illegal deodar timber from the community hall at Kothi. The seized items include 50 frames, 15 sleepers and 72 planks, all made from the highly valuable deodar wood.
The investigation into the matter is currently ongoing, with authorities probing the involvement of the temple committee members and the extent of the illegal timber trade in the area. The case highlights the ongoing challenges of forest conservation in Himachal Pradesh, where illegal logging and timber smuggling pose serious threats to the region’s biodiversity and natural resources.
