Dehradun: Two officials of the forest department – a beat officer and a barrier person at a forest checkpost – of the Haridwar range of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve (RTR) were suspended on Wednesday, said Koko Rose, the director of Rajaji Tiger Reserve.
Incident Details
A row erupted over the weekend after preparations for the wedding of Uttarakhand cabinet minister Khajan Das’s son were carried out inside the RTR’s core zone at the Sureshwar Devi temple. It was alleged that the preparations were made without formal approval from forest authorities, raising concerns over violations of forest and wildlife norms.
Action Taken
The action was initiated based on preliminary information that indicated negligence at work. A final conclusive report about the entire incident is yet to be submitted. On Saturday, materials for a large setup – including a pandal, stage, coolers and generators – were taken into the reserve area, raising red flags given that the area is an ecologically sensitive zone. As the issue escalated, the forest department registered a case against the temple committee under provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, for alleged violation. The wedding was organised the following day without any major decor thereafter.
RTR director Koko Rose said, “Investigation in this matter is underway, final action will be initiated based on the report.”
