The Munnar Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) will issue a final order within one week regarding the seizure of an earth mover belonging to a tribal man in Idukki.

The issue came to light after Ajeesh Kumar, 46, a tribal man residing in Pazhayarikandam, Kanjikkuzhy, and owner of the earth mover, threatened self-immolation in front of the Nagarampara forest range office under the Kothamangalam forest range last Thursday.

Following the incident, Forest Minister Shibu Baby John intervened and called a meeting with the Munnar DFO office on Tuesday (July 14, 2026). However, the meeting failed to find a solution to the issue.

Munnar DFO Saju Varghese said that proceedings under Section 61A of the Forest Conservation Act will be completed within one week, after which a final order will be issued. “After the order is issued, if it is not favourable to him, he can approach the district court against the DFO’s decision,” the official said.

Mr. Kumar stated that the Forest department did not provide any assurance during the meeting regarding the return of his vehicle. “I felled the trees on revenue land, and the Forest department illegally seized my vehicle,” he said.

According to sources, the Forest department plans to issue an order to confiscate the vehicle as government property. Department sources added that since the issue has grabbed headlines, the owner would likely need to move the court to reclaim the earth mover.

Forest officials had booked a case against Mr. Kumar and another resident in 2020 over soil removal and the uprooting of trees on land that had been in a private individual’s possession for years. The Forest department initially valued the uprooted trees at just ₹700. However, a year later, the deputy range officer allegedly directed Mr. Kumar to surrender his vehicle to the Forest department, promising its release within 10 days. Four-and-a-half years later, the Forest department has still not released the earth mover, which is valued at ₹30 lakh.

Published - July 14, 2026 07:26 pm IST