Madikeri: Codava National Council (CNC) has demanded action against timber magnate PC Asainar for illegal tree felling worth crores of rupees in Kopattimale in Bhagamandala forest range in Kodagu District. The Codava organization has also demanded action against former MLC and advocate AK Subbaiah and his son Additional Advocate General (AAG) of Karnataka AS Ponnanna for supporting the timber magnate in his clandestine deals.
CNC in its press release has demanded strong action against the timber magnate and sought attachment of all his properties by the enforcement directorate (ED) across India and abroad.
Asainar has been accused of involving in large scale tree felling in 60 acres government land at Kopattimale of Bhagamandala forest range of Madikeri Taluk, Kodagu District, Karnataka housing large trees valued at crores of rupees. CNC has accused Asainer of misusing the permit given to a nearby land holder Daisy Jacob, wife of an IPS officer in Kerala for felling all trees in the reserve forest range of Koppattimale owned by government of Karnataka. According to them, this was done in addition to felling all trees in Daisy Jacob’s land.
They further accused Asainar of evading fines levied on him by government agencies by utilizing the services of former MLC and a known advocate AK Subbiah and his son A.S Ponnanna, advocate practicing in Bengaluru High Court who is an additional advocate general as well. The press release clarified that the Forest department somehow has initiated criminal proceedings against Asainar in relation to the timber theft at Kopattimale in Bagamandala range forest. According to CNC, this is being done to save Asainar, a clever plot by dishonest fraudulent forest officials who filed and framed criminal cases against the original owners of the respective properties from where Asainar has felled trees illegally.
The CNC release said, that there is a civil suit OS No.12/2000 in the court of the Civil Judge, Madikeri and the RFA No 384 /2011 in the Hon’ble high court of Karnataka, pending disposal.
They accused Muthanna of getting an order in his favor after the writ petition was filed by Asainar which according to them caused irreparable loss to the government of Karnataka under the cover of legal proceedings benefitting Asainar. CNC also accused Asianar of illegal felling of Male Balanji male trees under the permit cover of female Balanji tree which caused environmental destruction as all permit rules were flouted to create barren land in many areas where Male Balanji trees were grown. They accused the father and son duo advocates of pulling out Asainar from trouble time and again including in a case where a PIL was filed in 2015 against his misdeeds for felling male Balanji trees.
CNC accused him of misusing his permit where under the cover and shade of Silver Oak trees at Bettageri estate of Suntikoppa, Asainar felled and transported valuable trees like teakwood, rosewood and white cedar blatantly violating all norms. He later transported them stealthily to Mysuru mentioning the same to be Silver Oak trees where permission is not required.
They accused him of transporting other high valued trees along with silver oak trees to hood wink forest officials to Pyramid Plywood factory where all the said logs have been converted into valuable furniture and exported to foreign countries. In this case, special permit is required from the forest department to transport Rose wood, Teak Wood and White Cedar logs, but used mango tree felling permit and stealthily transported expensive logs to Kerala, they alleged.
CNC further said, that a everything was done in connivance with government officials where forest guard to principal chief conservator of forest (PCCFO), peon to principal secretary in the Department of Forest, environment and from a lower cadre employee to State Chief Survey Officer in survey department worked hand in glove with the timber magnate. Officials’ dishonest ways to earn extra money has caused irreparable loss to state exchequer as well as irrevocable loss to the natural habitat across Kodagu. The press release said falsified revenue documents like land Survey, Durasthi, Akarbandhu, and RTC were used for illegal tree felling and transport.
According to CNC, Asainar used middlemen in all the villages who gather information regarding valuable standing trees like rosewood, teakwood and white cedar and misused small land permits to ferry large scale timber at will showing them as genuine permits which he didn’t possess in most cases where large felling was carried out. He offered freebies like costly liquor, expensive fish to people who resisted his moves while carrying out his shady business. They accused his son Riyad having a free hand in revenue, survey and forest departments where he can be found round the clock. CNC accused Asainar of ferrying government officials to Kerala in luxury cars to attend Riyad’s wedding.
An ordinary Congress worker 35 years ago who used to supply beverages like coffee and tea, Asainar today owns hundreds of Foreign cars, Luxury Apartments and Expensive Properties in Bengaluru, Mysuru, Kodagu and Kerala (Cochin, Travancore, Calicut and Kannur) and Dubai. They alleged even certain ministers are involved in his criminal activities who are treated with wine and women. They alleged that his business empire extends to hawala deals, supporting anti-national elements like Bangladeshi immigrants, naxalites and ISIS operatives in Kodagu. They accused him of possessing twin voter ID’s , both of Karnataka and Kerala and involving in planting drug (Ganja) plants thereby accused him of supporting drug trade.
The release said, that during Onam and Diwali , great demand exists for jack fruit timber barks for which he has already obtained license and is planning converting the logs into small barks in the property owned by A.K Subbaiah at Konageri in Hudikeri limits under “Saw Pit License” (Dadepass). They felt, that the license secured from Forest Dept for transporting finished product to Kerala might be misused again for transporting high valued timber in place of jack fruit trees.
The press release said, even the transport permit which is valid for 12 hours to transport one load of timber was misused on earlier occasions by Asainar where he managed to transport two loads using the same permit by changing the number plates of trucks and ensured that two loads reach destination, Balapatna Saw mills in Kerala.
The then superintendent of Police, P S Sandhu, an upright officer, on information about the dubious activities of Asainar directed the issuance of passes valid from morning 06.00 to 10.00 am and allowed four hours for shipment across border. Since this hampered his illegal activities, Asainar somehow got the officer transported (Presently P S Sandhu is in CBI).
CNC release further said Asainar used most modern tree felling machinery where no clues will be available to act upon for the investigating agencies. The rich land which is facing monsoon rainfall deficit due to such activities may turn into a barren land in the near future with the entire Cauvery basin region in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu may go dry, they feared.
They wanted CBI to investigate all his deals and ED to seize all his properties along with that of AK Subbiah and his son AS Ponnanna. In addition, they wanted ED to audit accounts held by Asainar at SBI Madikeri and cancellation of his tree felling license.
The CNC release were sent to Central Home Minister, Central forest minister, National security Advisor (NSA), CBI, Joint director ED with copies marked to Chief Justices of Supreme Court , High Court and UNESCO director general.
