Eight persons have been arrested by Kokrajhar Police on Tuesday in connection with the incident of vandalising the Ultapani forest office.
The arrested persons have been identified as Betal Basumatary, Bichinta Basumatary, Manoj Basumatary, Jarang Narzary, Ranjit Basumatary, Princhen Basumatary, Ranbir Basumatary and Ramesh Tirky.
Kokrajhar Police have registered a case (No 453/20) under sections 143/447/448/353/336/427/370 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in connection with the incident and are interrogating the culprits.
The incident took place on the day at Ultapani when Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi visited the Jharbari area, around 15 km away from Ultapani to participate in a plantation programme.
The incident happened after the arrest of two timber smugglers who were brought by a forest department team to the Ultapani forest range office in the wee hours on Monday.
The two arrested persons were handed over to the custody of the headman of No 2 Ultapani village after consultation.
“But unfortunately, a group of 60 persons from No 2 Ultapani village attacked the forest range office at Ultapani,” sources said.
Sources said the villagers vandalised the door, window panes of a Bolero car, and several valuable assets of the forest office.
