Panchkula police have arrested a fifth suspect in the illegal felling of khair trees in the government forest area of Surajpur in Pinjore, adding a fresh development to a timber theft investigation that began after forest officials reported trees being cut and loaded into a pickup truck.
The latest accused, identified as Hanni, was arrested on October 12, according to the report by Times of India – Chandigarh. Police said Hanni is a resident of Patiala district and was living in Model Town, Pinjore, at the time of the arrest.
The case was registered at Pinjore police station on September 8 after officials from the Kalka forest department reported suspected illegal tree felling in the forest area. During an interception attempt, two individuals allegedly fled from the spot. Officials seized 18 khair logs from the pickup truck and found seven trees that had been felled in the forest.
Four other accused had been arrested earlier in the investigation. They were identified as Sanjeev Kumar, also known as Sanju; Vishal, also known as Chinu; Krishan Kumar; and Rinku Kumar. Police also recovered two iron saws that were allegedly used in the tree-felling operation.
The case places the focus on the protection of government forest land around Pinjore and the enforcement response to the removal of trees for timber. The seized logs and the seven felled trees form part of the material recorded by officials during the initial action, while the arrests indicate that police investigations have continued beyond the interception at the forest site.
Panchkula police commissioner Pankaj Nain said strict legal action would be taken against people who harmed natural resources. “It is the responsibility of us all to protect our forests and the environment. No individual involved in such crimes will be spared,” he said.
The latest arrest brings the number of accused held in the case to five. Police have not provided further details in the supplied report about the alleged roles of the suspects, the quantity of timber ultimately recovered beyond the 18 seized logs, or the next court proceedings. The investigation remains focused on the illegal felling and removal of khair trees from the Surajpur forest area.
