Bhubaneswar, January 20: One forest department official was killed and four others were injured by timber smugglers in Orissa’s Nayagarh district, police said today.
The incident took place at Landagirinda forest near Jasodapur village in the district last night when a group of forest officials attempted to prevent a gang of about 40 smugglers from cutting trees inside the forest.
An official, identified as Somnath Behera, was hacked to death by the forest mafia, police said.
“They (the timber smugglers) hacked Behera to death after chasing him inside the forest,” said Prafulla Ghadai, one of the forest officials who sustained injuries in the incident.
A timber smuggler was also seriously injured in the incident and was rushed to SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack where his condition was stated to be critical.
The injured foresters were admitted to different hospitals, police said.
–Agencies