In a new twist in the ongoing investigation of the Police, about the accused smuggler Mukesh Badani has revealed that he was using the transit permit to smuggle the sandal woods across the state. Much to it, the transit permit was in the name of a red sander’s farmer, based in Visakhapatnam.
Badani, who was arrested for smuggling Red sandal woods, backed himself that he has an official permit for selling red sanders. However, investigation by cops revealed that it is only a transit permit issued by forest department of Chittoor and cannot be used to procure, store or sell red sanders.
“The claims of accused Mukesh are false. He does not have any legal permission. Haryana forest department officials who visited the godown have certified that it is illegal and he had no permission to stock red sanders. The transit permit shown by the accused is in the name of one Venkat Prasad of Vishakapatnam who is a pattadar cultivator. Mukesh does not have permission to sell, alter or export it out of the country. His aides were caught procuring the red sanders logs from the smugglers,” Kadapa superintendent of police Navin Gulati said, the Deccan Chronicle reports.
Police said red sanders smugglers are misusing these kind of permits. Cops have now decided to write to forest officials to keep a tab on these permits.