MUMBAI: The apathy of higher-ups in the forest department toward the officials who were beaten up in Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary on April 30, has upset forest officials.
An offence has been registered and the matter has been reported to higher-ups in the forest department and the judicial magistrate, Thane. But officials lament that nothing has been done after that. But what has really hurt them is that the construction of the “illegal” ashram inside the sanctuary has gained momentum after the incident.
A team of forest officials led by assistant conservator of forest (ACF) VP Patil and range forest officer (RFO) Suresh Darade raided Sadanandbaba Ashram in Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary on April 30, and tried to confiscate four peacocks illegally domesticated there. However, the devotees, led by one of the trustees of the ashram, Atmaram Patil, allegedly assaulted the officials injuring them. Darade sustained serious injuries, and his collar bone was fractured.
The state forest ministry has sent a note to the home ministry seeking action against the culprits.
“We sent an official note on April 30 to the additional chief secretary, home, for immediate action,” said JP Dange, additional chief secretary, revenue and forest. However, he admitted that there had been no follow-up.
The ministry should follow up the matter on a daily basis. Otherwise, officials would back-track from taking action against illegal activities inside protected forests, a senior forest officer said.
Sources in the ministry said the ashram trust had approached the centre and even the Supreme Court twice to regularise the construction. However, both the applications had been rejected. “There is an urgent need to send a strong message to the police department so that similar incidents are dealt with a firm hand in future,” said a senior forest official with the wildlife wing of the department.
“After the attack we demanded police protection for our staff posted at the gates. But nothing has been done till date,” said Darade, who is recuperating in a hospital.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Mob trash Forest officials for 3 hrs
Range forest officer Suresh Darade is still in a state of shock following the events of April 30. “Those were the worst fours hours of my life. Surrounded by a furious mob of over 300 people, armed with sticks, rods and stones, my team and I would have been killed had fortune not favoured us,” he said.On April 30, a team of forest officers led by assistant conservator of forests, VP Patil and Darade, raided the Sadanandbaba Ashram in Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary to confiscate the peacocks illegally domesticated there. However, an angry mob of devotees present there thrashed the group for several hours.A visibly upset Darade said, “We reached the ashram at around 12.30 pm. Our team found four peacocks there and tried to confiscate them. But the devotees present there objected and the situation soon became highly volatile.”Sensing danger, the forest officials decided to leave the place and return with additional force. In the meantime, someone from the ashram called Atmaram Patil, one of the trustees, who instructed the devotees to detain the forest officials till he arrived. “At around 1 pm, when we were getting ready to leave, the devotees closed the ashram’s main gate and asked us to wait for Patil. When they snatched our car keys and punctured the tyres, I knew we were in real danger.”Darade called Virar police station. But the police reached the spot after three hours, Darade said. The trouble started when Atmaram Patil started to thrash the forest officials. “Seeing him, the other devotees also started to hit us with sticks, iron rods, stones. They continued this for three hours and we weren’t sure whether we would get out alive,” said Darade. The forest officials were later locked inside a room. “The police team took forever to arrive. With each passing moment our hopes of escaping alive were getting grimmer. Finally the police arrived at around 4 pm and rescued us.” The Virar police registered an offence under sections 143, 353, 332 and 345 of the IPC and arrested seven persons, including a lady, for the assault. Rohit Patil, Gurunath Patil, Dattatraya Raje, Adesh Patil, Shweta Mahajan, Narendra Patil and Datta Andhale, were, however, released on bail. The incident has upset the forest officials. A delegation wanted to meet superintendent of police, Thane (Rural) Naval Bajaj, on Friday, to demand immediate action against the culprits and hand over a memorandum. It could not meet him as he was not present in his office. The delegation comprised representatives of the association of assistant conservators of forest, association of range forest officers, and the union of foresters and forest guards.
Source: DNA
Source: DNA
Forest officials beaten up, cops let culprits go
The forest department team that had gone to Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary to demolish the illegal construction of Sadanandbaba Ashram on Wednesday had a narrow escape when Sadanandbaba, along with trustees and devotees, assaulted the members. However, despite reaching the spot in time, the Thane (Rural) police did not arrest the culprits.
The team was led by assistant conservator of forest VP Patil and range forest officer Subhash Darade. Sources said when the team tried to confiscate peacocks from the ashram, the devotees prevented it from entering the premises. When the forest officials tried to force their way in, the devotees allegedly locked them in a room and beat them up.
They were released only after a team from the Virar police station reached there. However, to the forest officials’ surprise, the police criticised them for raiding the ashram without the police’s knowledge.
“We were surprised to know that we would have to take permission from the police to carry out operations in our own jurisdiction. Police can not dictate terms to us,” said a senior forest department official.
“This attitude of police is not acceptable. Forest department officials are free to discharge their duties. Police must act on the complaints they receive,” said Babanrao Pachpute, state forest minister. Police would have to take action against the culprits, otherwise we would recommend action against them, Pachpute added.
Wednesday’s turn of events is a result of the eviction notice issued to the trust, which was asked to vacate the premises before April 30. Apart from carrying out illegal construction inside a sanctuary, the ashram trustees violated Wildlife Protection Act by keeping four peacocks in the premises. The ashram is said to have strong political support.
Soure: DNA
The team was led by assistant conservator of forest VP Patil and range forest officer Subhash Darade. Sources said when the team tried to confiscate peacocks from the ashram, the devotees prevented it from entering the premises. When the forest officials tried to force their way in, the devotees allegedly locked them in a room and beat them up.
They were released only after a team from the Virar police station reached there. However, to the forest officials’ surprise, the police criticised them for raiding the ashram without the police’s knowledge.
“We were surprised to know that we would have to take permission from the police to carry out operations in our own jurisdiction. Police can not dictate terms to us,” said a senior forest department official.
“This attitude of police is not acceptable. Forest department officials are free to discharge their duties. Police must act on the complaints they receive,” said Babanrao Pachpute, state forest minister. Police would have to take action against the culprits, otherwise we would recommend action against them, Pachpute added.
Wednesday’s turn of events is a result of the eviction notice issued to the trust, which was asked to vacate the premises before April 30. Apart from carrying out illegal construction inside a sanctuary, the ashram trustees violated Wildlife Protection Act by keeping four peacocks in the premises. The ashram is said to have strong political support.
Soure: DNA
Illegal Temple in Tungareshwar Wild Life Sanctuary
The Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, 30 km north of Borivili,Mumbai is witnessing an unholy development — an illegal temple is being constructed by the Sadanandbaba Ashram. Despite several notices, the construction continues.
The state forest department has already issued two eviction notices to the Sadanandbaba Ashram Trust. “The trustees have ignored the notices so far. However, as per the latest notice, the trust has been instructed to vacate the place before April 30. In case they fail to comply, the construction will be demolished,” said PN Munde, conservator of forest and director, Sanjay Gandhi National Park.
However, forest department officials claimed that it was pointless trying to stop the trust’s activities since they have strong political support with around six cabinet ministers and six ministers of state supporting them. “There have been around 25 futile meetings with the state government and the trustees. The department had to face enormous political pressure every time any action was initiated against the trust,” said a senior official from the state forest ministry.
Officials claimed that they face serious problems such as threat to life and other political pressures when they try to remove the encroachment and prevent illegal activities in the sanctuary.
Apart from the illegal construction, the trustees of the ashram have also kept four peacocks — two males and two females — claimed to be donated by a devotee from Gujarat.
“Detention of peacocks is a serious offence. This is not the first time that the ashram has been involved in such an activity. They had committed a similar offence in 2004,” said Debi Goenka from Conservation Action Trust.
However, despite warnings, the trustees of the ashram do not plan to stop any of their activities. “We know that the construction of the temple is illegal and a peacock is a schedule-I animal. But we will continue in any case. No one can confiscate the peacocks. The forest department should consider the religious sentiments of devotees and co-operate with us,” said Atmaram Patil, one of the trustees.
The ashram trustees had earlier tried to get the central government permission to construct the temple. They also filed two applications to the Ministry of Environment and Forest to get the temple regularised. However, despite the rejection, the trust decided to go ahead with the illegal construction.
Unaware of the problem, state forest minister Babanrao Pachpute, said, “No construction can be allowed inside a sanctuary. I will immediately inquire about the matter and initiate stern action against the culprits.”
The state forest department has already issued two eviction notices to the Sadanandbaba Ashram Trust. “The trustees have ignored the notices so far. However, as per the latest notice, the trust has been instructed to vacate the place before April 30. In case they fail to comply, the construction will be demolished,” said PN Munde, conservator of forest and director, Sanjay Gandhi National Park.
However, forest department officials claimed that it was pointless trying to stop the trust’s activities since they have strong political support with around six cabinet ministers and six ministers of state supporting them. “There have been around 25 futile meetings with the state government and the trustees. The department had to face enormous political pressure every time any action was initiated against the trust,” said a senior official from the state forest ministry.
Officials claimed that they face serious problems such as threat to life and other political pressures when they try to remove the encroachment and prevent illegal activities in the sanctuary.
Apart from the illegal construction, the trustees of the ashram have also kept four peacocks — two males and two females — claimed to be donated by a devotee from Gujarat.
“Detention of peacocks is a serious offence. This is not the first time that the ashram has been involved in such an activity. They had committed a similar offence in 2004,” said Debi Goenka from Conservation Action Trust.
However, despite warnings, the trustees of the ashram do not plan to stop any of their activities. “We know that the construction of the temple is illegal and a peacock is a schedule-I animal. But we will continue in any case. No one can confiscate the peacocks. The forest department should consider the religious sentiments of devotees and co-operate with us,” said Atmaram Patil, one of the trustees.
The ashram trustees had earlier tried to get the central government permission to construct the temple. They also filed two applications to the Ministry of Environment and Forest to get the temple regularised. However, despite the rejection, the trust decided to go ahead with the illegal construction.
Unaware of the problem, state forest minister Babanrao Pachpute, said, “No construction can be allowed inside a sanctuary. I will immediately inquire about the matter and initiate stern action against the culprits.”
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