Ex-forest official arrested for illegal tree felling, construction in Corbett Tiger Reserve

A former forest official was arrested for his alleged involvement in the illegal tree felling and construction in the Corbett Tiger Reserve, officials said on Saturday. He was accused of being involved in the illegal felling of trees and constructions carried out in Morghatti and Pakhro ranges in Kalagarh forest division of the Corbett Tiger Reserve and has been arrested from Ghaziabad.

A former forest official was arrested for his alleged involvement in the illegal tree felling and construction in the Corbett Tiger Reserve, officials said on Saturday. Former DFO Kishan Chand from Vaishali in Ghaziabad on Friday, SP vigilance (Haldwani) Prahlad Meena said on Saturday. He was accused of being involved in the illegal felling of trees and constructions carried out in Morghatti and Pakhro ranges in Kalagarh forest division of the Corbett Tiger Reserve and has been arrested from Ghaziabad. The suspended DFO who is now retired was on the run since October.

The Uttarakhand High Court had turned down his anticipatory bail plea earlier in the case. Chand is accused of being involved in the construction of buildings in Morghatti Forest Rest House and a bridge in Pakhro without taking due financial and administrative clearance from the authorities. He was also involved in the alleged construction of tiger enclosures in the Pakhro range without taking prior permission from the National Tiger Conservation Authority of India (NTCA) in violation of norms.