Bhubaneswar: The Forest Wing of Odisha Vigilance seized illegal saw mill accessories and valuable timber worth over Rs 13.52 lakh during a joint raid on Tuesday.
Acting on reliable information, the team conducted the raid on June 24, 2026, at village Badheisahi, Nachhipur, under Kataka Sadar police station limits in Kataka district. Officials found an illegal sawmill operating without a valid license, in violation of Section 4 of The Orissa Saw mill and Sawpit (Control) Act, 1991.
During the operation, sawmill accessories and 13.81 cubic feet of valuable timber were detected and seized from the premises. The owner was not present at the site. However, his son, Saswat Ranjan Baral of Badheisahi village, was found operating the saw mill. He was arrested and forwarded to court.
In a separate seizure, the team also detected an illegal stack of round teak timber measuring 53.508 cubic feet at the end of Nachhipur village. The timber was confiscated on the spot.
The total value of the seized sawmill accessories and 67.318 cubic feet of timber is estimated at Rs 13,52,404.Following the raid, three forest cases have been registered under OR Case No. 5PH and UD Case Nos. 5PH and 6PH of 2026-27 in Phulnakhara Range under the City Forest Division, Bhubaneswar. Further investigation is underway.
