3 foresters booked for seeking bribe from teacher in Salem

The Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption (DVAC) in Salem booked a forest ranger, a retired forest guard, and a forest watcher, who is no more, for threatening and demanding a bribe from a government school teacher to avoid registering a case against him for trespassing into the forest area.

Police said JP Ashok Kumar, Forest Ranger, Thammampatty Forest Range, C Krishnaraj, retired forest guard and S Manivel, a forest watcher, who passed away in May this year, were booked under the Prevention of Corruption Act for threatening and demanding bribes from C Devendran, a teacher in a government higher secondary school in Kallakurichi.

Devendran cultivates ¾ acre of land in Ninangarai village abutting the reserve forest. In August 2018, the tractor unloading manure on his field had stuck in the slush. Therefore, a JCB was deployed to take out the vehicle, when the drivers had used the reserve forest area, police said.

Six months later in February 2019, the forest department staff came to know of the incident and demanded a bribe of Rs 50,000. “When he came forward to pay Rs 10,000, the trio locked him up in the range office and tortured him. He however managed to escape and was admitted to Attur GH. Also, a case was registered against him for trespass and slapped with a penalty of Rs 50, 000,” police said.

Based on his complaint, DVAC registered a case against the trio.