Eight forest department officials arrested for killing man
Madhya Pradesh: Eight forest department officials arrested for killing man Eight forest department personnel were on Thursday arrested for beating a villager to death and then burning his body to destroy evidence, a police official said. “The incident occurred on Tuesday when a villager Roopchand Sonwane (40) went to the forest to collect firewood near Gangpur village under Bahrai forest circle,” said Barghat Police Station in charge Khemendra Jaitwar. He said that deputy ranger Santosh Uike and other forest employees caught him on suspicion that he was cutting teak trees. Some villagers saw the forest department personnel taking away Sonwane, he added. “When Sonwane did not return in the night, the family members contacted Uike again who told them that he had been released. However the man did not return till Wednesday evening,” Jaitwar said. He said seven others arrested for the crime were watchmen with the forest department and identified them as Shikendra Chandra, Surendra Harinkhede, Sarwan Vishwakarma, Santosh Gwali, Santosh Lohar, Phul Singh UIke and Dilip Thakre. -PTC News
