Kochi: A court has issued warrants against the Augustine brothers, who are accused in the controversial Wayanad Muttil tree-felling case. The Chottanikkara Magistrate’s Court issued the warrants against Anto Augustine, Roji Augustine and Josekutty Augustine. The action was taken in connection with a case registered by the Ambalamedu Police.
The warrants were issued after the court dismissed a petition filed by the accused seeking to quash the case.
The case alleges that the accused illegally transported timber from Wayanad and sold it to a timber company in Ambalamedu, Ernakulam, by misleading the company into believing that they had a Forest Department transit pass. The company owner had lodged the police complaint, alleging that the accused had sold the timber through breach of trust and cheated him.
The accused had approached the High Court, arguing that the case was not maintainable and that no special permission was required to transport the timber. The court, however, rejected their plea.
The Magistrate’s Court has now issued the warrants after the accused failed to appear before it in person.
The Wayanad Muttil tree-felling case was one of the major illegal timber-felling scandals to cause widespread controversy in Kerala. The case centres on the illegal felling and transportation, without government permission, of valuable trees including rosewood (eetti) and teak from farmers’ land in Muttil South Village, Wayanad, with the timber estimated to be worth crores of rupees.
The accused allegedly used as a cover a 2020 Kerala government order issued by the Revenue Department permitting farmers to cut trees planted by them or trees that had grown naturally on their patta land. However, the accused allegedly misinterpreted the order, forged documents and transported protected trees belonging to the government, including trees that were centuries old.
Roji Augustine, Anto Augustine and Josekutty Augustine are the main accused in the case. Trees worth crores of rupees, including centuries-old trees that were required to be protected by the government, were allegedly felled and transported.
The Police, Revenue Department, Forest Department and Enforcement Directorate have investigated the case. A special investigation team has also submitted a chargesheet to the court. The case was also the first in India in which DNA test results of the trees were included along with the chargesheet.
The Revenue Department’s subsequent issuance of notices imposing fines running into lakhs of rupees on poor farmers who were allegedly deceived after falling victim to the timber-felling racket sparked widespread protests. The case has also faced allegations that the key accused escaped while ordinary farmers were left to bear the consequences.