Two arrested for smuggling khair wood in Panchkula

Police have arrested two men for smuggling khair wood from a government forest in Panchkula. The suspects, Sultan Ali and Shahnur, were caught with 58 pieces of the stolen wood in a pickup truck near Raipur village. The police were on a routine patrol when they noticed a suspicious truck around 5:00 pm. They stopped the vehicle, and upon checking, found the wood hidden under a tarpaulin. Sultan Ali, who lives in Meghuwala village, was driving the truck, while Shahnur is from Talakor village. Both men admitted to cutting down khair trees from the forest with plans to sell the wood in Punjab. An officer from the forest department confirmed the wood’s origin and prepared a report on the incident. The suspects could not show any license or permit for the wood. The police seized the truck and the stolen wood. Sultan Ali and Shahnur face charges under several sections of the Indian Forest Act, 1927. A formal case has been filed at the Pinjore police station.