Karkala: High value trees which come under the Hebri forest area were cut and were hidden illegally inside stone quarries by unauthorised persons. The Hebri forest officials in Belanje forest region, which comes under the Kuchoor gram panchayat, got information about the illegal activity and are further investigating the matter.

A case has been registered against those unauthorized persons and the officials have continued the operation from last few days. It is strongly alleged that these trees were cut from the forest region by Amruth Kumar Shetty, president of the Anti Kasturirangan Report Implementation Committee and Naveen Shetty from Belanje.

The operation began on Friday under range forest officer, Satish N, who raided several places including Belanje and Kopparagundi. In the operation the officials found illegally stored logs and were taken to Seetanadi forest office premises.

The officials have further continued the operation suspecting more trees hidden in the region. The officials are under scanner who have supported the illegal transportation of trees and order has been passed to dismiss those staff employed for wilful neglect of duty, as per reports.

All those who were involved in the theft and transportation have been interrogated by the officials.

Kundapur deputy forest conservator Ravishankar, assistant forest conservator Kishore Kumar, and other high ranking officials have continued the operation in Hebri.

The peoples representatives and the forest department are silent on these illegal activities of cutting down of trees, and this has caused suspicion in the minds of the public as to why stern action has not been taken yet in this regard.