THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Troubles are escalating for former Chief Secretary A. Jayathilak IAS in connection with the infamous Muttil tree felling scam. The Forest and Revenue departments of Kerala have launched a joint initiative to probe the circumstances and potential conspiracy behind the controversial Revenue order that facilitated the illegal felling of protected trees across the state.
The controversial order, which was used as a loophole by the prime accused Anto Augustine and his brothers to illegally fell and transport protected rosewood and teak timber worth crores from Muttil and other areas, was issued during Jayathilak’s tenure as Revenue Principal Secretary.
Probing the Bureaucratic-Mafia Nexus
The joint investigation by the Forest and Revenue departments will thoroughly examine the file movements, official notes, and background actions that led to the issuance of the directive. Investigators suspect that the order may have been deliberately tailored or misconstrued to benefit timber operators.
Charge Sheets Filed by Police and Forest Department
The legal proceedings against the perpetrators have reached a crucial stage:
The Police and Crime Branch have filed charge sheets in 36 cases, naming Anto Augustine and his brothers as key accused.
The Forest Department also submitted its first formal charge sheet in court recently regarding the illegal logging cases.
With law enforcement agencies tightening their grip on the accused, the focus has now shifted to the administrative decisions that enabled the scam, bringing the role of former top revenue officials under intense scrutiny.
