Investigations into the series of red sanders smuggling incidents, reported in the district recently, have unearthed the alleged nexus of forest officials with the timber smugglers.
The district police had conducted a series of raids in the Srirangapatna and Nagamangala taluk in 2014 and seized several lakh rupees worth of timber from the alleged forest goods smugglers.
While the police department had filed charge-sheets in connection with the arrests, the Forest Department has conducted an internal investigation into the incidents.
Some of the Forest Department personnel were helping the smugglers to fell red sanders in the reserve forest areas. The laxity of 13 forest officials was proven during the investigation, sources at the Forest Department here told The Hindu .
Subsequently, Prakash S. Netalkar, Deputy Conservator of Forests (Mandya), had recommended suitable action against those 13 personnel, sources said.
