3 booked in cedar oil scam

Shimla: After a seizure of around 17,000 litre of cedar oil, the police have registered an FIR against three persons. Earlier, a shopkeeper was booked in the multi-crore cedar oil scam. The forest authorities, too, have chargesheeted two of its officials for laxity on their part in this case.

While 3,325 litre of illicit cedar oil was recovered from Rakesh Kumar of Thunth village, 6,800 litre oil was recovered from Mast Ram of Lingjar village. About 7,200 litre cedar oil was seized from Ramesh Kumar, also from Lingjar village.

According to sources, those under police and forest officials radar in the case have started efforts to get anticipatory bails. Meanwhile, based on the preliminary departmental inquiry the forest authorities have chargesheeted two officials, including a range officer and a deputy range officer, and have started checking tour diaries of forest officials deployed in Chopal forest division.

Forest minister Govind Singh Thakur said that the police and forest officials were investigating the case and anyone found guilty would not be spared.

The minister also admitted to illegal extraction being done in the area for the last many years and said that forest mafia was involved in this. He said to put a check on the forest mafia, orders had already been issued to constitute a task force that would work in close coordination with the police department.