2 forest watchers held for Red ties, face UAPA cases

The two forest watchers of Kanha in police custody

BHOPAL: Police arrested two “forest watchers” at Kanha National Park in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh and booked them under UAPA, on the charge of having ties with Maoists, triggering unrest among forest staff. Many are now seeking transfer for fear of getting caught between Maoists and police.
“Watchers” are the ones who patrol forests on foot. “Hamare logon ko tiger se dar nahi lagta saheb, police se lagta hai (We are more scared of police than tigers),” a forest officer said.
Police said they arrested the duo, Ashok Kumar Lal and Santosh Kumar Lal, both 28, during a Maoist encounter on Sunday in which an insurgent was killed.
“Both of them were good patrol guards, always vigilant. What are they supposed to do? Maoists threaten to kill their families if they don’t help them and, if they do, police arrest them for supporting anti-nationals,” the forest officer, requesting not to be named, said.
Mandla police say the duo was caught “signalling” information to Maoists on the movement of security forces. From atop a hillock, they would whistle in a certain way or strike stones together as per a prearranged code to warn Maoists, police said.
Forest officers maintain the duo was indeed “signalling” to Maoists — but to collect their food and ration. “They were not signalling Maoists about movement of forces. It’s a wrong perception,” the officer added.
Though the duo claimed it was their first interaction with Maoists, investigators say they found handwritten notes and other evidence suggesting a much deeper connection with insurgents.