Patnagarh: The Bolangir divisional forest officer (DFO) has suspended forester of Larambha section Bagawat Das and forest guard Gopal Gadtia on charges of corrupt practices. Reports said that the forester Das had seized the tractor of Karuna Mishra, a resident of Bahal village, February 22 citing that his tractor was engaged in timber smuggling.
He had also registered a case against Mishra’s elder brother. Karuna Mishra had offered Rs 20,000 to the forester and Rs 5,000 to the guard to release his tractor and to relax the charges against his brother in the charge sheet. A video of the bribery had gone viral a few days go. On the basis of the video clippings, the Bolangir DFO placed the two staffers under suspension.