Forest Department accused of foisting false cases on protesting farmers in Kozhikode

Stir organised against alleged apathy of officials in addressing wild elephant menace in Chakkittappara panchayat

We Farm, a collective of hillside settler farmers, has accused the Forest Department of foisting false cases on those who recently took part in a protest against the officials for their alleged apathy in addressing the wild elephant menace in Chakkittappara panchayat. The association leaders said the farmers took part in the protest as they were scared to live on their own land amid frequent raids by wild elephants. The farmers had recently lost crops worth ₹40 lakh, they said. We Farm functionaries claimed that a Range Officer was behind the attempt to implicate the farmers in fabricated cases. The leaders called upon the Kozhikode Divisional Forest Officer and other senior officers to withdraw the cases. They also threatened to go ahead with indefinite protest again in case of any hostile action against the protesters.