A forest range officer along with his staff at Runikhata Forest range in Chirang forest division near the Indo-Bhutan border sustained grievous injuries after being attacked by a mob of 150 people during an anti-encroachment drive on Thursday morning.

According to reports, a team of forest officers led by forest ranger Pranjal Talukdar visited an unlawfully encroached forest land that had previously been evicted three times and discovered temporary homes and shops on the site.

The Divisional Forest Officer, Chirang Forest Division, directed the forest personnel to demolish unlawfully erected homes and shops on forest land, and they carried out the orders.

While returning, an enraged mob gheraoed them and attacked them with stones and sticks, seriously wounding them.

Speaking to the media, forest ranger Pranjal Talukdar said, “During our anti-encroachment drive, we destroyed all of the temporary homes and shops that had been established on the three times evicted forest area. When I and my team were returning, a mob of 100 to 150 individuals attacked us near a market place occupied by forest encroachers. They hit me with a stone in the head, and three of my staff was also injured in the mob attack. Our forest department vehicle was vandalized.”