A 50-year-old man was sentenced to six months of imprisonment by a local court after he was found guilty of encroaching a forest land here and building a house on it.
Judge of a local court VP Patil convicted Vijendra Singh Kisan Singh Ramprasad who came from outside Maharashtra and settled in the land here after clearing the trees and bushes.
According to prosecution, the accused had cleaned up the forest land bearing survey number 521 and built a hut there.
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Representational pic.
Counsel for the Forest Department, Sagar Kadam, in his submission produced in the court said that the spot in question came within reserved forests to which the provisions of the Forest Act would be applicable.
In her order the judge observed, "only because photographs are not placed on record, doubt cannot be created about the prosecution story when independent pan witness is supporting the prosecution case.
Moreover, defence has not brought on record any incriminating material against the prosecution witnesses to disbelieve their testimony or create any doubt about the trustworthiness of their evidence."
The counsel argued that the accused had contravened the provision of law and he should be punished as per law. The judge held the accused guilty under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, and sentenced him to six months imprisonment.
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