BAIHATA CHARIALI, March 30 - Acting on a tip-off, the ranger of Sila forest range office under North Kamrup division, Rabin Baishya and his team yesterday nabbed one Bijay Sonowal of Dhemaji, the mastermind behind the forest land encroachment at Kali Pahar near the Buddha temple of Amingaon.
Forest Department sources said that under the leadership of that man, some forest land was encroached there and they constructed three houses there in the name of Harijan Sangha and hung a signboard. The man was arrested under the Assam Forest Regulation Act 1989 (Section 24/25). On Tuesday, after medical treatment, the man was kept under police custody and on Wednesday after re-medical treatment, he was sent to jail for violation of the Assam Forest Conservation Act. The forest team also recovered a machette, axe and some other equipment from the possession of the encroachers.
