Encroachers on forest land attacked a team of the Forest Department and injured a forest ranger. The team of forest officials was on a visit to the forest land to prepare it for tree plantation in the Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh when the attack took place.
According to the police, the Forest Department team comprising six persons, led by forest ranger Rakesh Gonekar (42) had gone to Umrajhar forest area in the Tarana region of Ujjain yesterday. The team had to identify spots for tree plantation and prepare the land for the same.
However, some villagers, who are encroachers on the forest land, accosted the forest team and began arguing. Soon the accused became agitated and began pelting stones on the forest staff.
The ranger sustained injuries in the stone pelting and started bleeding profusely. The other team members somehow managed to take the injured ranger to the Makdon police station and lodged a complaint.
According to Makdon police station in-charge K K Tiwari, a case has been registered against four persons identified by the forest staff. The police officer said that the accused, Badri, Rameshwar, Dashrath and Kamal have been booked under sections 535, 332, 186, 189, 294, 506 and 34 of the IPC.
The accused had fled the village when the police reached there to arrest them. A search is on to nab the miscreants.