Miscreants allegedly assaulted a team of Thoubal Forest Range staff during an inspection drive to check illegal excavation of earth in the reserved and protected forest area of Lilong Usoipokpi in Thoubal district on Thursday, sources said.
According to sources, a team of Thoubal Forest Range led by deputy ranger Md Aslam visited the site of an ongoing illegal earth excavation at Lilong Usoipokpi based on a tip-off. The inspection team got into an altercation with the excavation workers, at which the workers allegedly assaulted the staff and damaged their vehicles, it added. Md Aslam was injured at the altercation, the sources said.
The team went to halt the illegal activity as excavation of earth from reserved forest areas and protected forest areas are prohibited even if one has land deed, it stated. The illegal excavation project belongs to workers and associates of influential people, it added.
