Forest guards fire rounds in the air

• Cattle thieves attempt to attack swords
• One admitted in Kerala hospital on alleged gunshot injury
• Complaint against forest guards

Sullia:  Forest guards fired a couple of rounds in the air after cattle thieves who were illegally transporting cattle attempted to attack the guards with swords on the wee hours of Sunday at Aletti forest checkpost on the Karnataka-Kerala border in Sullia.

One of the cattle thieves has been admitted at a hospital in Kannur claiming that he was allegedly injured from a gunshot by the forest guards and has filed a complaint against the forest guards in Kerala. The forest guards have registered a case with Sullia police on the sword attack attempted by the cattle thieves.

Incident synopsis

Heeding to the information that trees were being illegally felled and smuggled from within the Aletti Sanctuary limits along the Kerala- Karnataka border, a five member forest guard team were patrolling the forest. Since there was elephant incursion into farm lands in the area, the guards spent the night patrolling.

On Sunday morning, in-between 3 to 4:30 am, a pickup vehicle was plying towards Kerala. When the guards signaled its driver to stop, it attempted to flee. Forest guards pursued the vehicle and overtook it at the turning near Pattukunja.

That is when, a few passengers of the pickup alighted from the vehicle armed with swords and attepted to attack the forest guards. In response, the forest guards fired warning shots in the air consequent to which, the thieves fled.

In their complaint to Sullia police, the forest guards have mentioned that the pickup had 3 cows, swords and other equipment to attack.

There is information that D.K. police and Kerala police have visited the spot and initiated investigation.