Foresters pose as Maoists, FIR filed

When the rebels' guns fall silent, some take a shot at rumours. An FIR has been filed against five foresters , including a range officer, for spreading false claims that an Odisha patch freed of Maoists nearly 20 years ago was still not out of the woods, report Riyan Ramanath & Naresh Chandra Pattanayak.

The Anandpur range officer and four other staffers allegedly spread the rumours in the Keonjhar pocket to terrorise poachers and exert their own influence, according to the case filed by police. The forest department has started parallel departmental proceedings. Anandapur is part of Similipal landscape, though not within the tiger reserve there. Brijesh Rai, DIG (western range), said the five were booked under BNS sections for "spreading false information with an intent to misuse their power to harm". The move followed concerns among residents and subsequent checks.