215 villagers booked for attacking police, forest personnel

An FIR has been lodged against 215 villagers for allegedly attacking police and forest personnel during an anti-encroachment drive here. Fourteen of them have been arrested, police said. "The FIR has been lodged against the villagers on the complaint of forest officials. Fourteen have been arrested so far and search is on for the others," Additional Superintendent of Police, Vikas Kumar Vaidya said.

The incident took place last night when a team of forest and police officials reached the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in Sujauli area here after receiving information that illegal hutments had been erected on forest land. Villagers attacked them as soon as the team members started removing the huts, injuring two security personnel, Vaidya said, adding that the accused also damaged six government vehicles in the process.