Hojai: 2 arrested by police for allegedly settling people in Lumding Reserve forest for cash

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• Nov 16, 2021 | moderator

Hojai: The Hojai Police detained a man named Najrul on Tuesday for allegedly establishing many families in Lumding Reserve Forest in return for cash.

Najrul was arrested from Nakhuti village in Lumding by the Police after people who had been evicted in the recently conducted drive, took his name.

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People have also raised another man’s name, Janaik Anuwar, who along with Najrul was equally responsible in carrying out the illegal settlement for money.

Notably, Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, while speaking on the eviction drive, had also mentioned Najrul and his activities of establishing people in the Lumding Reserve Forest in return for money.

Around 555 households were dismantled which were illegally constructed inside the reserve forest long back. The initiative, known as the second major eviction drive by the government, took place in two months after the Gauhati high court ordered clearing of the encroached parts of the reserve forests.

As per the Hojai administration, a total of 650 houses had been traced by the administration inside the reserve forest and 85 per cent of these houses had already been dismantled during the day-long drive. The remaining houses will be covered under the drive on Tuesday.