Indore
The forest guard who had raised a complaint against state tourism minister Usha Thakur was transferred from Mhow range to Chaparia forest area of Manpur.
What is surprising about the move is that the forester was part of the investigation team from Bhopal that is probing the matter. Another round of investigation will begin on Wednesday, and the forester was transferred even before investigation was completed.
"Some forest officials are over-enthusiastic and overplaying on small incidents, which are common in the state," forest minister Vijay Shah had commented on the complaint raised by forest guard named Ram Suresh Dubey against tourism and culture minister Usha Thakur for obstructing the official work of forest department.
Following this, Shah had ordered an investigation into the case.
As per the complaint made by Dubey, Thakur led a group of supporters who barged into a forest department office and forcibly took away JCB and a tractor-trolley seized for illegal mining in a protected area, an official had said on Tuesday.
Thakur and her supporters, numbering around 20, also allegedly threatened the staff at the forest office in Badgonda in Indore district on Sunday evening.
