Wayanad: Tribal farmers at Vazhavatta colony have come forward with new revelations in the Muttil tree cutting case. They say that they have not submitted any application seeking permission to cut the trees on their land. The accused Roji Augustine approached them saying that he has the approval of the Village Officer to cut the trees.
One resident of the colony, Balan, said that the application submitted in his name at the Village Office is a fake. He said that he and his sister have not submitted any application to cut the trees. However, trees with more than 15 feet height were cut from the lands of Balan and his sister. Balan had already informed the police that the sign on the application form is not his.
The accused Rogi Augustine, who bought the trees, was the one who prepared all the documents. Earlier it was found by forensic experts that it was Roji Augustine who prepared the fake applications in the name of the landowners.
Investigations into the handwritings revealed that it was Roji Augustine who prepared the documents and also signed on it. It was found that the seven applications in the name of landowners were found to be fakes.
The fake applications were prepared in the name of tribals and small farmers. Trees were cut and carried off from the lands of sixty-five persons including the accused.
High quality trees of more than 300 years were cut down in the name of a government order. The DNA test on the cut trees revealed that it was more than 300 years old.
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