A major controversy has taken the Forest department by storm in Kottayam after one of its range officers, who investigated the alleged cultivation of ganja at a forest station, was transferred as a punishment.
The controversy revolves around the transfer of B.R. Jayan, who served as the range officer (RO) in Erumely, to Malappuram recently. Official sources stated that the transfer was prompted by allegations of his involvement in mentally harassing officials stationed at the Placherry forest station.
According to a senior forest official, the episode began when a few ganja saplings were discovered in an abandoned building within the forest station premises. “A preliminary investigation confirmed that one of the forest watchers associated with the station had apparently been using ganja for some time. While the investigation also revealed that the saplings inside the building had grown from seeds left by this official, the RO allegedly threatened to implicate several other officials from the station in the case,” he said.
Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran has taken serious note of the incident and has requested a report on the matter. Additionally, the forest vigilance wing has initiated an investigation.
The situation took a new turn on Sunday when the Manimala police raided the forest station premises and seized ganja plants from a locked-up building. Based on this discovery, a case has been filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
The raid followed a complaint from locals alleging that forest officials were cultivating ganja in as many as 40 grow bags behind the forest station. Earlier in the day, a group of locals and Youth Congress activists staged a protest march to the forest station, accusing authorities of attempting to shield officials involved in ganja cultivation.
Adding weight to their claims, a video surfaced showing a forest watcher admitting to growing ganja saplings.
A senior police official in Kottayam attributed the controversy to personal enmity between the RO and some officers at the Placherry station. “While the raid yielded a few ganja saplings, no evidence of planned cultivation was found. If there had been clear evidence implicating forest officials in ganja cultivation, the RO should have immediately alerted the Excise or the police department,” he noted.
