Date:25/06/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/06/25/stories/2006062510720100.htm

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Seized sandalwood, red sanders stolen

P. Oppili

Officials suspect that they were removed with the connivance of department staff

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CHENNAI: Seized export quality sandalwood weighing 150 kg and 1,300 kg of red sanders were stolen from the Forest Range Office at Tambaram. The incident came to light nearly a fortnight ago. Shocked forest officials lodged a police complaint.

The sandalwood had been seized from smugglers by a senior officer and was stacked in a room in the range office. Officials had kept the cut pieces packed in three gunny bags. The red sanders was kept in two gunny bags. While the market value of the sandalwood was about Rs. 6 lakh, the red sanders was worth about Rs 2 lakh.

Officials suspect that they were removed systematically from the storeroom over a period of time, possibly with the connivance of department personnel. A few years ago, two sandalwood trees behind the Forest guesthouse at Children's Park at Guindy were axed.

A team, led by G.S. Rawat, Chief Conservator of Forests (Planning and Development), K.S.S.V.P. Reddy, Conservator of Forests, Chennai Circle and Lima Toshi, District Forest Officer, Kancheepuram, inspected the storeroom on June 11.