Environmentalists allege bid to derail Muttil tree-felling case

The Wayanad Prakruthi Samrakshana Samiti (WPSS) has alleged a conspiracy to derail the Muttil tree-felling case and urged the Kerala government to expedite the investigation and ensure that those responsible for the alleged illegal felling of protected trees are brought to book

Addressing a press conference in Kalpetta on Wednesday (July 1, 2026), WPSS president N. Badusha and secretary Thomas Ambalavayal alleged that the State government and the accused were acting in concert to sabotage the case, which they described as one of Kerala’s biggest timber scams.

Interim stay

They said the conspiracy was evident from the South Wayanad Divisional Forest Officer’s (DFO) failure to submit case records to the government pleader despite repeated requests, leading to the Kerala High Court granting an interim stay on the Forest department’s confiscation proceedings.

The WPSS also criticised Forest Minister Shibu Baby John’s reported claim that the trees felled in the Muttil case did not belong to the Forest department, calling it a “bizarre argument.”

“The Forest department has a statutory responsibility to protect government-owned trees. The Minister is deliberately misleading the public,” said Mr. Badusha.

The organisation also expressed concern over, what it termed, lapses in the Forest department’s handling of the case, saying they had weakened the prosecution.

‘No chargesheet filed’

Citing an affidavit filed before the Kerala High Court by the head of the special investigation team (SIT), Mr. Badusha said the Forest department had registered 570 cases over the alleged illegal felling of 2,696 protected trees, including 2,520 teak and 176 rosewood trees. While the affidavit estimated the loss at 1,612.121 cubic metres of teak and 327.584 cubic metres of rosewood, investigators recovered only 348.499 cubic metres of teak and 280.149 cubic metres of rosewood. Despite the registration of 570 cases, no chargesheet had been filed in any of them so far, he alleged.

According to the WPSS, the Muttil South village cases were among the most significant. Investigators allegedly found that 120 protected rosewood trees were illegally felled under the leadership of the “Augustine brothers.” Timber to the tune of around ₹10 crore was seized, and the Forest department registered 51 forest cases.

The South Wayanad DFO subsequently ordered confiscation of the seized timber under Section 61A of the Kerala Forest Act, 1961. Although the Kalpetta District Court upheld the order, the High Court granted an interim stay on June 22, 2026.

The WPSS demanded a comprehensive review of the investigation, early filing of chargesheets, and speedy completion of all subsequent proceedings, warning that further delay could weaken the case and allow those responsible to escape justice.