HT Correspondent
NAGAON, July 17: A tragic incident unfolded in Lathimari, under the Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary, as forest personnel resorted to open fire, resulting in the death of Rohima Khatun and leaving five others injured.
In a retaliatory attack, four forest personnel were also wounded, according to sources.
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It is worth mentioning that Lathimari had been successfully cleared from encroachers during a massive eviction drive conducted by the district administration and the forest department a few months ago. However, recent reports indicate that some people attempted to reclaim the forest land by constructing temporary structures.
On Monday morning, a team of forest personnel arrived at the evicted areas of the wildlife sanctuary.
Upon witnessing the aggressive actions of the encroachers, the forest personnel intervened, only to face a violent response from the encroachers armed with sharp weapons such as ‘dao’ and rods.
The office of Chitalmari forest beat within the wildlife sanctuary was ransacked during the unexpected attack.
Four forest personnel sustained severe injuries on the spot. Faced with no alternative for self-defense, the forest personnel were forced to fire warning shots to disperse the attackers. Tragically, one woman was fatally shot, while four other encroachers sustained bullet injuries, as per sources.
Among the injured encroachers, Ahmod Ali, Ramjan Ali, Fatema Khatun, and Abdul (a forest personnel) have been identified, while the identities of the others remain unknown at the time of filing this report.
Police from Juria Police Station and senior officials from Nagaon swiftly responded to the situation, attempting to restore calm and peace. The injured individuals were promptly transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. However, tensions continue to prevail in the affected areas, according to sources.
In a statement on Monday afternoon, Jayanta Deka, divisional forest officer (DFO) of Nagaon Wildlife Division, expressed deep regret over the unfortunate incident.
He emphasised that the forest personnel had no choice but to resort to self-defense due to the encroachers’ aggressive and dangerous behavior, which resulted in severe injuries to four forest personnel and the vandalism of the Chitalmari forest beat office. Deka reiterated that the forest personnel fired warning shots as a last resort to protect themselves.
The incident serves as a grim reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by authorities in safeguarding wildlife sanctuaries and preserving valuable ecosystems from encroachment. The incident is under investigation, and authorities are determined to restore peace and order in the affected areas.
